With the Samajwadi Party’s first family yet to recover from the ongoing feud, the SP government with an eye on the next polls, raised the honorarium of village heads (pradhans) by Rs 1,000 per month besides assuring that if Akhilesh Yadav formed the government again, then all benefits including the honorarium will be doubled.
“The honorarium of village heads has been increased to Rs 3,500 per month from existing Rs 2,500,” Panchyati Raj minister Ramgovind Choudhary announced in lucknow on Thursday.
He said that only the SP government had raised the honorarium from Rs 750 per month to Rs 25,00 per month in 2014 and within two years, it was again raised. “If village heads help the SP in forming the government in the state again, then the honorarium will be doubled,” said the minister.
Choudhary further announced that the contingency fund of village heads has also been hiked to Rs 5,000 from Rs 1,000 while travel and other expenses have been increased to Rs 15,000 from the existing Rs 5,000.
“In addition, Gramsabha has been given the rights for technical, administrative, financial approval for projects upto Rs 2 lakh in case of MGNAREGA,” he added.
The minister also claimed that the government will also help pradhans in getting arms licenses and try to bring some changes in recruitment of safai karamcharis so that old system in which Valmiki families were given preference in selection of candidates, could be restored.
Chaudhary also announced that assessing the shortage of secretary rank staff in Panchayats, the government has deicded move to immediately appoint 7000 secretaries so that development projects were not hampered.