Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, May 23 : The Minister for Rural Development Panchayati Raj, Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, Ali Mohammad Sagar today said that the Government has earmarked Rs 101 crore for construction of new and renovation of existing Panchayat Ghars across the State.
Addressing a public meeting after laying foundation stone of Panchayat Ghar at Village Kangrailin in Bhalwal block, the Minister said that the Government has released the funds for creating the necessary infrastructure for smooth functioning of these democratic institutions.
Listing the steps taken by the Government to establish a vibrant Panchayti system in the state, he said that the Panchayat Representatives have already been conferred planning, supervisory and monitoring powers of fourteen departments, besides keeping Rs 1 lakh at the disposal of each Panchayat for taking up works of emergency nature.
He said that Government has already set in motion the process of devolution of powers with regard to the fourteen listed departments and the concerned officers have been told to comply with the orders. He termed creation of infrastructure as first step towards the empowerment of Panchayat institutions and added that the Government has formulated an effective policy for the decentralization of powers and the coming days would witness establishment of a vibrant three tier Panchyati System in the State.
“Empowerment of Panchayats will surely expedite the progress and prosperity of the state, besides ensuring effective and need based implementation of development programmes and in this regard the Chief Minister had a high level meeting in which directions were passed to the Administrative Secretaries of all departments to ensure the full empowerment of all the PRIs by 29th of this month”, he added.
“We do not believe in rhetoric,selling false ideas and misleading people but in making sustained efforts. It is after decades that this revolutionary measure has been initiated whereby the people at grass root level have been involved in policy formulation and implementation”, Minister maintained.
He advised the public to avail the benefits of Central and State Sponsored Schemes maintaining that an amount of Rs. 451 cr has been spent under MGNREGA in the Jammu division during the current fiscal.
MLA Raipur Domana Bharat Bhushan, besides Director Rural Development Jammu, Shafiq Raina, Assistant Commissioner Development Jammu, K. Siddha, , Executive Engineer RDD, Parvaiz Malik and other senior officers of various departments, including PHE, PDD, Irrigation and PWD were also present at the foundation laying function of the Panchayat Ghar, which is estimated to be completed at a cost of Rs 20 lakh.
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