Union Rural Development Secretary Amarjit Sinha has praised Jharkhand for bringing visible changes in the life of rural populace in the State. In a review meeting with State Rural Development Department officials today, Sinha also persuaded State officials to ensure completion of poor centric pending programmes. At the same time, State officials also placed a number of desired favours from Centre to maintain accelerated speed of rural development works.
“We discussed things related to rural development at length including MGNREGA, Pradhanmantri Awas Yojna (PMAY) and Pradhanmantri Gram Sadak Yojna (PMGSY) during review meeting. We have placed our demands and requirements before the Centre, and are delighted to have positive response from Centre,” said State Rural Development Department Principal Secretary NN Sinha on Tuesday after meeting.
Some of the major areas of concern from Centre revolved around speedy disposal of fundamental infrastructure related programmes for the poor including Indira Awas Yojna (IAY) and PMAY. “Union RD Secretary has asked us to ensure completion of pending IAY houses as also completion of newly Sanctioned PMAY houses as soon as possible. He also wanted us to ensure submission of all DPRs and rigorously using the PMGSY framework for implementation of rural roads,” said Sinha.
State officials wanted some of the key concerns resolved at the earliest to stand on the expectations of Centre. “Important issues raised by the state remained release of Rs 683 Crores under MGNREGA, extension of the CFT scheme by three more years, expansion of the CFT to all the remaining 187 blocks and a CFT cell for the state. We also asked for additional features and authority to State in the software for PMAY and MGNREGA, treating all districts of states as hill districts and uniform unit cost throughout the state for PMAY-Gramin houses apart from release of NRlM funds And inclusion of left out 250 roads to core network,” said Sinha.
He added that the State has requested more funds for DRDAs, funds for development of SIRD campus, extension of PMGSY software for state roads, higher specs for mine roads and ensuring accountable implementation of PMGSY schemes from NPCC, IRCON and other CPSUs and higher level of credit linkage for SHGs by Banks.
Earlier, Amarjit Sinha also met with Chief Minister Raghubar Das. He said that Jharkhand was very much on the way of progress, which was apparent. Das said that the government was working to increase farmers’ income by connecting them with horticulture, animal husbandry, dairy work and other creative works.
Union RD Secretary said that Jharkhand was undergoing developmental phase. Sinha who got his first posting in West Singhbhum, said that he witnessed visible on works of development during his latest visit to there. Principal Secretary to the CM Sanjay Kumar was also present during Sinha’s meeting with the CM.