Sagar asks officers to ensure effective implementation of NRLM

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Feb 8: Underlining the need to ensure that the benefits of National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM) percolate to the genuine beneficiaries, Minister for Rural development and Panchayati Raj Ali Mohammad Sagar today asked the concerned functionaries to work in coordination for the effective implementation of the scheme aimed at to improve the socio-economic transformation of the rural areas.
The Minister was addressing officers during the first governing body meeting of Jammu and Kashmir State Rural Livelihood Society.
Principal Secretary Planning B. R. Sharma, Commissioner Secretary Rural Development, Farooq Ahmed Peer, Commissioner Secretary Agriculture, Shaleen Kabara, Commissioner Secretary Social Welfare, Gaznaffar Hussain, Director Resource (Finance), Rashim Khasyap Mission Director NRLM, Tufal Mattoo and other senior officers were present at the meeting.
Mr. Sagar said that the scope of NRLM is very wide and it would go a long way in providing the much needed livelihood to the people living in rural areas. He said that a mechanism needs to be framed to ensure that the benefit of the scheme reach the targeted and genuine beneficiaries.
The Minister said that the main objective of the scheme was to make the poor the partners in the development by their capacity building and social mobilization to the extent that they themselves strive for better livelihood instead of much on the Government incentives.
He said that the concept of Self Help Groups (SHGs) under the scheme is not just to set up income generating units but lying emphasis on making these as pressure groups to claim the benefit of various flagship schemes meant for poverty elevation, like MGNREGA etc.
The meeting was told that that the scheme has initially been introduced in four districts of the State and an amount of Rs. 17 crore would be spent in the initial phase.
The Minister later met a deputation of Panchs and Sarpanchs of Nubra Assembly Constituency lead by MLA, T Namgyal and Councilor Tsering Angchuk.
The deputation raised several issues of public interest of their areas including providing staff to the newly formed block of Pammik, besides delimitation of Panchayat Halqas and holding of Block Development Council elections.
Mr. Sagar assured the deputationists that all their genuine demand would be looked into and redressed properly.