Chief Minister Raghubar Das has written letters to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Rural Development Minister Chaudhary Birendra Singh apprising them about initiative of his Government related to plan involving panchayati raj institutions.
He, in his letters, also underlined the importance of the decentralised rural planning exercise while demanding greater assistance under MGNREGA.
“For the first time in the history of Jharkhand, the State has initiated an ambitious decentralised rural planning campaign “Yojana Banao Abhiyan” for participatory identification of schemes for MGNREGA and for utilisation of funds devolved to Gram Panchayats as per the recommendation of the 14th Finance Commission. This exercise involves elected Panchayati Raj Institution representatives, community resource persons, women collectives, civil society organisations and community and field level workers of all the departments,” said the CM in the letter.
He credited the step to two visionary initiatives of the Centre- Mission Antyodaya of the Ministry of Rural Development and Gram Panchayat Development Planning (GPDP) of the Ministry of Panchayati Raj. The CM expressed confidence that the planning will reap rich dividends in terms of livelihood enhancement of rural poor, better management of natural resources and improving civic services in rural areas.
“The Government expects that the campaign will help in empowering Gram Panchayats and in taking development and governance to the doorsteps of the rural households.
According to the Socio-Economic Caste Census, 54 per cent of rural households in Jharkhand meet at least one of the seven deprivation criteria and therefore deserve State help,” wrote the CM while mentioning about drought like situation in the State and fragile agricultural economy.
He said the campaign would help in identifying schemes by the people themselves for harvesting rain water and for enhancing rural livelihoods. The campaign will also help the State in understanding the actual work demand of the rural households and in preparing the labour budget of MGNREGA.
“It is expected that the campaign will give a boost to the rural economy and have to be supported with adequate budgetary allocation for MGNREGA. It is my firm belief that with the support of Government of India, we will be able to meet the expectations and needs of the people that will be generated through this Abhiyan,” he wrote.