Release honorarium in favour of Sarpanches and Panches: Saroori

Saroori asked officers to speed up the efforts for effective implementation of MGNREGA scheme

Jammu, Sep 01: Former Congress Minister and MLA Inderwal G M Saroori while addressing a meeting of Sarpanches and Panches of block Drabshallah, district Kishtwar has urged the government for early release of honorarium in favour of Sarpanches and Panches and Panchayate Adalats with the announcement made by it in Assembly during the Budget Session 2012 as well as 2013.

He asked the officers, Sarpanches and Panches to speed up their efforts for effective implementation of centrally sponsored scheme MGNREGA. "They should ensure total transparency and adherence to prescribed norms so that the benefit of this scheme aimed at socio-economic emancipation of rural and far flung areas, reaches the genuine beneficiaries," Saroori said.

Saroori said that the scope of the scheme has increased due to convergence of the same with the schemes of other departments and care should be taken so that a complete synergy is maintained while dovetailing it with other.

He also directed district administration of Kishtwar and Doda district to organize the event for Sarpanches and Panches at district levels added that the aim of organizing the event should be to provide a common platform to civil administrative functionaries and Sarpanches and Panches for a positive interaction and redressal of their common grievances.

Saroori called upon the Sarpanches to work with zeal and dedication to come up to the expectations of the people beside urged for ensuring proper co-ordination between elected Panchayats, VLWs, BDOs and various other functionaries of the Deptt. He assured all possible help to Sarpanches ans Panches from Congress party and said he himself will leave no stone unturned for empowerment of PRs and reiterated that Panchayati Raj is real empowerment of the common people.

He directed the BDO Drabshallah Shokay Hayat Mattoo, BDO Chatroo Seema Parihar, BDO Kishtwar Qazi Masood, BDO Thatri Tahir Hussain and BDO Gondoh Haroon Rashid Naik to ensure regular payment to Job Card holders who have completed their works. He said MGNREGA is a demand driver programme so funds be allocated as per demand of each block. Sarpanches also raised various problems being faced by them and on spot Saroori directed BDO Drabshallah Shokat Hayat Matoo for redressal the problems at an earliest.

Saroori further expressed concern over acute shortage of VLWs, inspectors and Engineers in the Rural Development department. He called for early filling of recently created 1035 posts of VLWs in the state.
He deplored the inordinate delay in finalizing of seniority lists of various categories of employees and failure to conduct DPCs which had greatly dampened the morals of the various categories of employees. He said several VLWs (Gram Sawaks) had complained that they had not been given even a single promotion from the date of their joining till the date of their retirement despite being eligible due to Deptt.’s apathy and neglect.