Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister Anil Sharma said that steps were being taken to effectively implement Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Scheme (MNREGA) and make it more result oriented so as to achieve desired results. He said that PWD, Irrigation & Public Health and concerned departments would be encouraged for taking benefit under this demand based programme and to complete the developmental schemes within time bound manner besides providing employment opportunities to the rural people.
Shri Sharma was speaking during the closing ceremony of two day State level Annual Conference of officers of the Rural Development and Panchayati Raj at Himachal Institute of Public Administration (HIPA) here today. The Minister said that the scheme would be run under the prescribed norms to ensure quality work and speedy development besides proper utilization of funds so as to benefit the targeted people. He said that the concerned departments had been directed to achieve targets under various flagship programmes of Government of India which includes Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan, Watershed Development Programme, Swaran Jayanti Gram Swarojgar Yojna, Indira Awas Yojna etc. He said that the State Government had implemented various poverty alleviation schemes and directed to ensure successful implementation of such schemes so that maximum number of beneficiaries may derive benefits from them.
Shri Sharma said that 7064 units would be constructed under Indira Awas Yojna in the year 2013-14 wherein Rs. 75,000 each were being provided to the beneficiaries. He said that Direct Benefit Scheme would be implemented in all the left out districts from October, 2013 under which benefit of different schemes would be deposited in the bank accounts of beneficiaries directly. He said that Rs. 100 crore had been sanctioned under 'Aajivika Karyakaram' during current fiscal.
Earlier, an Orientation Programme on implementation of MNREGA was organised for media. Dr. A.R. Sihag, Principal Secretary, Rural Development and Panchayati Raj detailed about different programmes of the department. Shri J.C. Chauhan, Director, Rural Development and Panchayati Raj also spoke on occasion. Shri Rajeev Sharma, Special Secretary and Additional Director conducted the proceedings. Shri Sohan Lal, Chief Parliamentary Secretary, Panchayati Raj, Shri Inder Dutt Lakhanpal, Chief Parliamentary Secretary, Rural Development, Smt. Purnima Chauhan, Director, HIPA, Shri D.D. Sharma, Additional Director and Special Secretary, Panchayati Raj and senior officers of the department were also present on the occasion.