Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 16: Former Minister and MLA Inderwal, Ghulam Mohammad Saroori, today met Secretary, Rural Development Department (RDD) and Panchayati Raj, Khursheed Ahmad Shah here at civil secretariat and discussed various developmental issues.
Saroori discussed various issues pertaining to rural development schemes including Mahtama Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), Indira Awas Yojana (IAY), Swachh Bharat Abhiyan scheme and others.
He also took up a series of issues confronting the smooth functioning of rural development schemes in district Doda and Kishtwar, notable among them were early release of MGNREGA wages to the Job card holders, release of honorarium to Sarpanches/Panches and raising infrastructure in the newly created blocks.
Saroori stressed on Secretary RDD to pass directions to officers to achieve the targets set under various Rural Development Schemes including MGNREGA, IAY, IWMP and Swachh Bharat Abhiyan maintaining that they have been instrumental in changing the rural landscape of the State by way of asset creation, providing employment avenues and also giving the much needed housing facilities to the needy people.
The MLA further asked Secretary RDD to expedite the release of funds so that the pace of works gets accelerated and new projects are also be taken up. He said that the requisite process for ensuring the release of pending funds from the Centre should also be initiated.
He further sought deployment of adequate staff in the newly created blocks of Doda and Kishtwar districts so that the functioning of the blocks doesn’t hamper.
Saroori was assured by Secretary RDD that all the issues would be addressed in a phase manner at an earliest. He further said that the districts like Doda, Kishtwar are Government’s top priority as they are the hilly and mountainous districts and nearing 90% of their areas are rural so Government will give more focused attention.
He also informed Saroori that per day wage under MGNREGA has been raised from earlier Rs 157 to Rs 173.
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