KL Report
Srinagar
Reiterating the state government’s resolve to ensure security and empowerment of panchayat members across the state, Minister for Rural Development and Panchayat Raj, Ali Muhammad Sagar said the government was likely to announce the honorarium package for panchs and sarpanchs before the upcoming budget session of the state assembly.
“The honorarium and insurance issue to panchs and sarpanchs has been taken up by the Chief Minister with the Prime Minister. I hope the announcement in this will be made before the budget session of the state assembly”, said Sagar while taking to a local news agency KNS soon after returning from New Delhi where he attended the MG NREGA Sammelan organized to commemorate the 8th year of the launching of the scheme.
However, Sagar said the state government would not be able to provide security to the panchayat members on individual basis. He said cases specific areas and individuals were being looked into by the state’s home department and the home ministry for ensuring security of the members.
He said the government was committed to empowering the panchayats in the state. “In this connection, the ADDCs who were asked to look into the empowerment issues in 14 departments have filed their reports and the CM has twice reviewed the progress on empowerment of the panchs and sarpanchs.
The Minister said that the department was looking into certain complaints of misuse of power by certain elements among the panchayat representatives. “We have received several complaints like one Sarpanch has got 25 IAY cases issued to his relatives. We will take action in such cases”, he added.
He said that he raised the matter of enhancing daily wages under NREGA to Rs 150 per month with authorities in New Delhi. “I have asked them enhance the daily wages under NREGA to 150 apart from liberal assistance under NREGA as we have performed well. They have agreed to our proposal in principle”, he said adding he had asked for increased allocation of funds in view of less people from the state migrating to outside cities for getting work.
