Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, July 27: Minister for PHE, Irrigation and Flood Control, Sham Lal Sharma, today laid foundation stone of Panchayat Ghar at Chowki Choura in Akhnoor Tehsil.
The new type Panchayat Ghar will be constructed over an area of two kanal land with an estimated cost of Rs.30 lakh out of MGNREGA and 12th Finance Commission funding. The building will comprise official accommodation for Panchayat functionaries, meeting hall, bathroom-cum-toilet blocks and small connecting bridge.
On the occasion, the Minister called upon the Panchayat functionaries to discharge their duties with utmost zeal and dedication for the over development of the society. He said that the Government has already empowered the Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) with the powers of 14 vital departments besides putting in place a mechanism to ensure that these are fully implemented on ground level.
He said that the developmental activities initiated by the Government have changed the socio-economic profile of the people of the state especially those living in hilly and far-flung areas. He also stressed the need to develop trust and maintain coordination among PRIs and administration for speedy development and better delivery of Government schemes on the ground. He directed the concerned officers to take into confidence the PRIs while formulating new schemes/projects and other development programmes to ensure need based development.
Later, the Minister inaugurated awareness-cum-registration camp for un-employed youth at Higher Secondary School, Chowki Choura organized by Rural Development Department.
As many as 11 departments had put up their stalls displaying their objects and articles manufactured by the Self Help Groups (SHG) , individual artisans and self employment units. The Minister inspected each stall and inquired from the officials about self employment schemes offered by their respective departments.
Elaborating upon the initiatives taken by the Government to promote self employment in the state, Mr. Sham said flagship scheme under Sher-e-Kashmir Employment and Welfare Programme for Youth (SKEWPY) and Himayat look at the problems with a holistic approach and through new policy initiatives comprehensively addresses issues related to employment.
The Minister asked the concerned departments and panchayat institutions to work in unison and contribute their bit in making the future of the youth bright through self-employment ventures. He said that Government cannot alone solve the unemployment problem and every individual should lend a helping hand to youth to set up their income generating unit and above all in providing awareness about different schemes launched by the Central and State Government.
Later, the Minister inspected the Ranjan Irrigation Scheme and proposed site for construction of Chenab Water Supply Scheme at village Dumi on the left bank of river Chenab along with the team of senior officers. The Minister issued instructions to the officers to immediately address the basic issues like acquisition of land, compensation paving way for early starting the project.
Commissioner/Secretary, PHE, Dr. Pawan Kotwal, Chief Executive Officer, ERA, Dr. Sourabh Bhagat, Chief Engineer, PHE, K.K. Gupta, Chief Engineer Irrigation and Flood Control, Varinder Badyal, SE Hydraulic Rajiv Malhotra, SDM Akhnoor, and other officers of the PHE and ERA were also accompanied the Minister.
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