Monday, 25 July 2022 | PNS | Dehradun
Govt aiming to develop sustainable smart villages- Maharaj
The State will receive Rs 135 crore under the Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (RGSA) for the year 2022-23, said the Panchayati Raj, Rural Works, Public Works, Tourism and Irrigation minister Satpal Maharaj. He said that all efforts are being made to develop sustainable and smart villages in Uttarakhand.
Addressing journalists here on Sunday, the minister said that efforts are being made under the initiatives taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Panchayati Raj minister Giriraj Singh to strengthen the State’s Panchayats. Under chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, the State government is committed to achieve the sustainable development goals (SDG) by making poverty-free villages with livelihood opportunities, healthy, progressive, green and clean villages along with self-reliant Panchayats. He said, “We had requested the Union minister to facilitate the necessary funds to implement various schemes in Panchayats and in response a sum of Rs 135 crore has been approved for Uttarakhand under RGSA. This amount will be used on training of three-tier Panchayat office bearers and personnel, capacity building and exposure visits along with training for achieving the nine SDGs of Gram Panchayats. Further, budgetary provision has also been made to provide one garbage compactor each to 95 development blocks, computerisation of 500 Gram Panchayats, parking facility in every district Panchayat and construction of additional halls in 100 Panchayat Bhawans.” He further informed that approval has also been granted for one vaccum-based cleaning machine- Jatayu in each district. The minister said that a satellite station will be developed in Dehradun to facilitate satellite-based communication with all the 95 blocks in the State. He said, “Accommodation in government guest houses at government rates will be facilitated for district Panchayat chairpersons, deputy chairpersons and block Pramukhs. Secretariat passes will also be provided to all district Panchayat chairpersons, deputy chairpersons and block Pramukhs. Further, the Finance department will be contacted regarding issuance of the government order on raising the honorarium of district Panchayat chairpersons, deputy chairpersons and block Pramukhs as announced by the chief minister. The minister also stressed that the government is focusing on increasing the revenue of Panchayats and making them self-reliant. “We aim to develop sustainable and smart villages for which the Panchayats are being strengthened. The Van Panchayat lands could also be used for activities like bee keeping and cultivation of vegetables which fetch good prices from hospitality enterprises. Our aim is also to enhance the revenue of the Panchayats,” the minister said.
Panchayati Raj director Banshidhar Tiwari was also present on the occasion.
