Jammu: Former minister and Chairman Panchyati Raj Cell of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) J&K unit, Sukhnandan Choudhary called on Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha at Raj Bhavan on Thursday.
He submitted a memorandum to the LG about the difficulties and problems being faced by the farming community and Panchyat members.
Through the memorandum, Choudhary urged the LG to enhance the relief compensation of crops which has been damaged due to recent hailstorms and heavy rains as the amount fixed by the administration was not adequate and lesser than the expenditure incurred by the farmers at the time of cultivation of crops. He appealed that the compensation amount to be payable to the farmers should be between Rs 1500 to Rs 2000 per kanal.
Choudhary also apprised the LG about the provision of Panchyati Raj Act openly “flouted” by the Rural Development Department (RDD) saying that the provision of PR Act with special reference to Rule 49 says, “Developmental works up to Rs 3 lakh are to be executed through Panchayats through Gram Sabha and no contractor is authorised to carry out the works below Rs 3 lakh.”
He appealed to the LG that an order should be passed to the concerned Deputy Commissioner for the execution of developmental works up to Rs 3 lakh through Panchayats as per the provisions of the Panchayati Raj Act.
Choudhary also raised an issue of the financial year 2017-18 in which the RDD under MGNREGA scheme had executed works through Secretary Panchayats and material like sand, Bajri, cement was procured from local Panchayat vendors, payment of which was still pending with the department and the vendors were facing hardships as they had a limited source of earning and capital. The LG gave a patient hearing to the former minister and assured that all the concerning issues apprised by him would be taken up with the concerned authorities and redressed in a time-bound manner.
Regarding the enhancement of compensation amount of damaged crops the LG said that they were seeking details of the losses during the hailstorms and as and when complete reports would come, the administration would enhance the amount of the relief.
He also assured that the developmental works would be strictly executed as per the provision of the Panchyati Raj Act and necessary instruction would be issued to the concerned department within a short time.
The LG also sought details of the works in which the RDD procures the construction material from the Panchyat vendors, payments of which were still pending.
He also assured the former minister that this issue would also be solved in the due course of time. While assuring early redress of all genuine demands, the LG impressed upon the former minister to continue his endeavours for the welfare of the people.
Meanwhile, Mayor JMC Mohan Gupta, former MLC Vikram Randhawa, DDC member from Khonmoh Aijaz Hussain, BJP Vice President Poonch S Varinderjeet Singh, and delegation of OBC Mahasabha headed by Kasturi Lal Basotra and J&K Thalassemia Welfare Society called on LG.