Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Wednesday said the state government was making concerted efforts to strengthen the Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Department, recognising its crucial role in the overall development of rural Himachal Pradesh.
Chairing a departmental review meeting here, he said vacant posts in the department were being filled on a priority basis to improve administrative efficiency. He added that more recruitment would be undertaken in the coming months.
The Chief Minister reiterated that the discontinuation of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA) and the implementation of the VB-G-RAM-G scheme were not in the state's interest.
He pointed out that under MNREGA, the Central Government provided 100 per cent funding, whereas under the new scheme, the state government would have to bear 10 per cent of the expenditure. He said this would place an additional financial burden on the state's limited resources and added that the issue would be taken up with the Central Government.
Sukhu said the state government would provide Rs 30 crore to complete the ongoing construction of Panchayat Ghars across Himachal Pradesh. He also directed officials to release additional funds for the completion of the District Panchayat Resource Centre in Una.
Highlighting the government's commitment to empowering rural women, the Chief Minister said financial assistance was being provided to Self-Help Groups (SHGs) to strengthen their livelihoods. He said 310 SHGs had already received credit assistance worth Rs 65.56 lakh.
To improve marketing opportunities for SHG products, he said a Himachal Hat was under construction in Shimla, while showrooms were also being developed in Pandoh and Kullu. A similar showroom is already operational in Dharamshala.
Sukhu said food vans had been provided to SHGs to promote their enterprises and added that more such vehicles would be distributed in the future.
Reviewing the progress of various departmental schemes, the Chief Minister directed officials to speed up their implementation so that the benefits reach eligible beneficiaries on time. He also instructed the Secretary, Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, to integrate all flagship schemes of the department with the Chief Minister's Dashboard for effective online monitoring.
Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister Anirudh Singh, Secretary C. Paulrasu, Secretary to the Chief Minister Ashish Singhmar, Director of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Raghav Sharma, and other senior officials were present at the meeting.
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