Rs 2000 cr available in rural development sector for current fiscal: Haq

Excelsior Correspondent

Minister for Rural Development & Panchayats, Abdul Haq addressing a press conference in Srinagar on Tuesday.  -Excelsior/Amin War
Minister for Rural Development & Panchayats, Abdul Haq addressing a press conference in Srinagar on Tuesday.
-Excelsior/Amin War

SRINAGAR, Sept 1: Minister of Rural Development Abdul Haq today said that around Rs 2000 crore fund allocation is available for various schemes in the rural development sector for the current fiscal. He said the department has also cleared liability of around Rs 400 crore inherited from the previous regime under MGNREGA.
“When I assumed charge of the Department in March this year, it was a challenge as there were liabilities worth Rs 367 crore in MGNREGA alone and people refused to work as their previous dues were not cleared,” Abdul Haq said while addressing a press conference here today.
The Minister said that the present Government was not only successful in getting the majority of the past liabilities cleared, but also kick-started new initiatives with assured funding. “For the current fiscal we have availability of Rs 903 crore under MGNREGA, Rs 800 crore under 13th Finance Commission, Rs 70 crore under IAY, Rs 150 crore under IWMP and Rs 50 crore under NRLM,” he said.
The Minister said that under the initiative of “My Village, My World” a sustained campaign has been launched across the State to ensure planned development of rural areas, conservation of water bodies and making the villages polythene free. He sought people’s cooperation in making the campaign successful.
The Minister announced a hike of 25 percent in the remuneration of the contractual staff deployed under MGNREGA. “This will benefit more than 4000 people working under MNREGA,” he said.
In a significant decision, the Minister also announced merger of District Rural Development Agency (DRDA) into Rural Development Department. “This demand has been hanging for around 5-6 years and from now on employees of DRDA will officially be known as employees of RDD. The decision was taken after we found that on one hand there are departments with excess staff and on the other hand we have staff deficient departments,” he said and added that the move will benefit around 180 staff members of DRDA.
Regarding the steps taken to provide relief to homeless people particularly after 2014 floods, the Minister said that a project for the flood victims of Sept 2013 for 3821 beneficiaries of BPL families has been sanctioned by Ministry of Rural Development at a cost of Rs 28.65 crore. “The current year’s (2015-16) target for construction of IAY houses has been fixed at 13484 and 15436 incomplete houses of previous years are also being completed. The central share allocation is Rs 53.20 crore and Rs 15.45 crore is state share allocation. During current financial year 2100 houses have been constructed including (SOS) and an amount of Rs 4.99 crore has been utilized upto July 2015,” he said.
The Minister said that the first preference for the release of funds under IAY will be given to snow-bound areas, which have limited construction months.
Regarding Swacch Bharat Mission (G), the Minister said that a target for construction of 2 lakh individual household latrines  (IHHL) has been fixed for the year (2015-16) and against this target 8627 latrines have been constructed and an amount of Rs 1.79 crore has been utilized upto July 2015.
“The Government of India has also approved the funding pattern in accordance with 90:10 pattern for Jammu and Kashmir, with 90 percent of funds coming from centre and state contributing 10 percent. This will also go a long way in helping the watershed management,” he said.
The Minister reiterated the Government’s stand to make J&K a polythene free State. “We have been bestowed with natural beauty but the same is being destroyed due to our carelessness particularly due to polythene and unplanned development. Even the virgin beauties of Bungus are being threatened,” he said.
Secretary RDD&PR, Khurshid Ahmad Shah, Director RDD, Kashmir, Tassaduq Jeelani, Director Panchayati Raj, CEO IWMP, Bashir Ahmad Khan besides, all ACDs and employees of DRDA were present on the occasion.

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