Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Apr 2: Minister for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, Ali Mohammad Sagar has said that the Government has effectively put in place a mechanism to ensure proper implementation of various rural development schemes, which have been instrumental in changing the socio-economic profile of rural and far-flung areas.
He was replying to the discussion on the working of Rural Development Ministry in the Legislative Council today.
Referring to the Government’s initiative for ensuring decentralization of powers, the Minister said that it was due to the efforts of the Government that elections to the Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) were held and afterwards ensuring their proper empowerment.
He said that it was due to the personal efforts of the Chief Minister that the orders of empowering PRIs with the functions of 14 vital departments were issued and implementing in toto the recommendations of the committee constituted under the chairmanship of the Chief Secretary. The Additional District Development Commissioner in every district has been nominated as nodal officer for ensuring that the orders of empowerment of PRIs are adhered to, he maintained.
Referring to the implementation of the 73rd Amendment in the State, Mr Sagar said that a committee has been constituted to examine the suggestions and recommendations from different quarters and that of coordination committee constituted for the same. He said that the committee has prepared a comprehensive report which will be sent to the cabinet.
Mr. Sagar said that an amount of Rs. 230 crore under 13th Finance Commission has been released mainly for the construction of Panchayat Ghars and in convergence with other schemes a set target of 1788 Panchayat Ghars is to be completed with full funding. He said as a grant in aid Rs. 72.24 crore has been released to the Halqa Panchayats for asset creation, furniture and rent.
The Minister said an honorarium and sitting fees of Panchayat representatives has been fixed and steps are being taken to provide Life Insurance cover. Under BRGF and RGSY, capacity building / extensive trainings are being provided to the Panchayat representatives as per the national capacity building frame work and for the financial year 2012-2013, an amount of Rs. 11.85 crore has been made available for the purpose, he added.
Mr. Sagar said that 170 Panchayat Ghars would be completed by March 2013 and during the current financial year 2012-2013 a new scheme of e-Panchayats and RGPSA related to PRIs have been launched. He said that the elections to the Block Development Councils would be held soon so that all the three tiers of the Panchayati Raj System are completed.
Referring to the landmark scheme of MGNREGA, the minister said that against the labour budget of Rs. 1077 crore for the financial year 2012-2013, an amount of Rs. 1365 crore has been approved for 2013-2014. During the financial year 2012-2013 there has been an availability of Rs. 912.37 crore against which an expenditure of Rs. 620.41 crore has been made by ending February 2013.
Out of the expenditure of Rs. 620.41 crore an amount of Rs. 456 crore has been uploaded on the MIS, which provides the Panchayat wise details of works, estimates, bills, muster seeds, bank accounts, job card holders, expenditure made, material purchased etc which remains available in the public domain as the step towards ensuring a step towards transparency, the Minister maintained.
The Directorate of Social Audits has been created and during the financial year of 2012-2013, 1582 social audits have been conducted in 1271 halqa panchayats, the minister said. He further said that the full-fledged State Employment Guarantee Authority has been created with State Employment Gurantee Fund for speedy flow of funds under the scheme.
He said the wage rate under the scheme has been enhanced from Rs. 131 per day to Rs. 145 per day w.e.f April 1, 2013 and under supporting staff of the scheme 823 technical assistants, 1509 Gram Rozgar Sevaks and 249 computer operators have been engaged and other engagements are in pipeline.
As a step towards transparency and accountability action has been taken against the delinquent officers/officials and presently 52 gazetted and 51 non-gazetted employees have been charge sheeted, the Minister said maintaining that a grievance redressal cell has been created in the administrative secretariat to get feedback from the people and redressal of complaints if any.
The Minister said under IAY the assistance is being enhanced from Rs. 48500 to 75000 from the financial year 2013-2014 and the online monitoring of the scheme is being done though software AWWASOFT. Similarly, under IWMP, a perspective plan of Rs.2300 crore stands approved and as on date 84 projects worth Rs. 524.85 crore sanctioned.
Trending Now
E-Paper
Follow our WhatsApp channel