MG-NREGA, IAY benefits not reaching people: Shahnawaz

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, June 9: Pradesh Youth Congress (PYC) president Shahnawaz Choudhary said today that full benefits of MG-NREGA scheme were not reaching to the people in Jammu and Kashmir. He said the State Government was required to take strict measures to ensure that the scheme was implemented in full and people in the rural areas were benefitted.
Addressing ‘Jan Chetna Yatra’ at Dak Bungalow Bhaderwah in Doda district, his first after being elected as the PYC (I) president, Choudhary said the Central Government has given some very good schemes for welfare of rural masses including MG-NREGA and Indira Awas Yojana (IAY) etc.
“The schemes should be implemented properly so that their benefits reached to maximum people in the rural areas’’, the first elected president of the PYC (I) said while addressing Youth Congress workers in Bhaderwah, the home town of Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Ghulam Nabi Azad.
Shahnawaz Choudhary, who was accompanied by some of the newly elected office bearers and leaders of the Youth Congress, described MG-NREGA and Indira Awas Yojana as some good schemes given by the UPA Government for welfare of the rural people, which, if implemented properly, would change the whole scenario in rural areas.
“The schemes have made some good progress in Jammu and Kashmir but still a lot more was required to be done on them to give benefits to maximum people’’, he said.
Shahnawaz said road connectivity all across the State especially in Doda belt remained a major problem as it was very low in hilly areas compared to the national average.
He called for empowerment of Panchayats to give more powers to the people in rural areas. He said the time has now come to empower the Panchayats and give them full powers at par with other States. He added that the Panchayats can do a lot for welfare of the rural masses.
Shahnawaz Choudhary, who started ‘Jan Chetna Yatra’ from tourist resort of Patnitop addressed public meetings at Batote, Assar, Drudu, Malnai and Bhalla before reaching Bhaderwah town. He interacted with the youths from all walks of life at various places and assured them full support in addressing their problems.
He said the main motive of his yatra was to aware general public about various schemes and policies of the Central Government including MG-NREGA, Rajiv Gandhi Vidhyut Yojana, Indira Awas Yojana, Maa Tuje Salaam and National Rural Health Mission.
In Bhaderwah, the local youth demanded construction of sports stadium. Shahnawaz assured them that he would take up their demand with the concerned authorities.
Shahnawaz was all praise for Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad for taking special care of the people of the State by announcing various welfare schemes. He said Mr Azad has announced strengthening of infrastructure on health front in the State, which would help a lot to the ailing community. He hoped that Mr Azad would help the State in various other Centrally Sponsored Schemes.