Gopal Sharma
JAMMU, Sept 27: The Rural Development Department (RDD) has cleared the liability worth Rs 367 crore accumulated during last three years while the J&K State would get funds to the tune of Rs 950 crore under NREGA schemes this year.
Official sources told the Excelsior that the liability on account of payments of labour class and the small contractors generated during 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2014-15, remained un-cleared as the previous State Government failed to provide utilization certificates (UCs) and properly project the demand with the Union Ministry of Rural Development. Majority of the liabilities remained un-cleared in Kishtwar, Doda, Ramban, Rajouri and Poonch.
The real objective of the scheme as the name suggests, ‘Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, remained defeated as it is mandatory for the agency or the officials concerned to provide job to the members of labour class/ poor villagers and provide them wages in the evening or maximum within 15 days, but they were left to suffer and protest on the roads for their wages for months and years by the previous regime. The biggest liability of the scheme amounting to nearly Rs 50 crore was from Kishtwar and Doda districts.
Minister for Rural Development Department, Abdul Haq Khan when contacted disclosed that the previous Omar Abdullah regime had created a liability of over Rs 367 crore in last three years from 2012 onwards. The Union Ministry of Rural Development did not clear this liability as the officers from various blocks and districts failed to provide details of funds utilized for various works and submit UCs with the Directorates at Jammu and Srinagar. Many officers failed to complete the requisite formalities and the Union Ministry stopped the funding.
“After taking over the charge of this Ministry, I heard huge hue and cry about the non-payment of the labour class under MG-NREGA in various blocks and people lodged complaints. Therefore, I started collecting details from all the Blocks and districts. Though the liability claimed by the previous regime was higher, but after re-verification of many works, the liability was reduced by nearly Rs 80 crore,” he maintained.
Responding to another question, Mr Khan said he asked all the BDOs and ACDs to complete all the formalities and submit UCs so that the demand could be projected with the Union Ministry of Rural Development. He said that he himself took up the issue with the Union Minister and the funds to clear the pending liability under NREGA were provided. Mr Khan said while most of the liability has been cleared in Kashmir and Jammu divisions after proper verification, but in some areas of Doda and Kishtwar, verification process is going on and the payments would be provided to the labour class shortly. The funds have been kept at the disposal of ACDs concerned.
Mr Khan further disclosed that J&K would get funds to the tune of over Rs 950 crore under NREGA scheme. From this year onwards he has decided to make five year projects and also take up some bigger projects in hand, which may include foot bridges to connect far flung villages, develop small dams for water storage etc. It has been conveyed strongly in the department that whosoever is found involved in theft/ pilferage of public money, he/ she will have to face consequences. “I will make the officials concerned accountable in case of any irregularity or lapse. The people who were in habit of indulging in such acts now have to mend their ways,’’ Khan maintained.
With new funds worth Rs 950 crore, the prime focus of the RDD will be on works related to flood restoration in Kashmir and other parts of the State. Many areas of Ladakh, Rajouri, Poonch, Doda, Udhampur, Kathua, Samba and Jammu also need works of such nature. The Block officers will be asked to prepare such projects and initiate works. The salaries of the employees engaged under NREGA has also been hiked by 25 % and it was not done in last over eight years.
The RDD is also planning to make Panchayats self- reliant. In this direction a proposal is being mooted to ask Panchayats to collect tax as being done by the Municipal Committees, Councils and Municipal Corporations for issuing permission for new constructions. Towns and cities are extending and many semi-urban and rural areas are now falling under the city and town areas. This will generate income for the village Panchayats, Mr Khan maintained.
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