Imphal, October 02 2010: "Year of Gram Panchayat" a year long programme of the Department of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, launched on this day last year, concluded today with a function held at Panchayat Bhavan, Porompat.

Addressing the function as chief guest, Chief Minister, O Ibobi called upon the people and authority concerned to extend co-operation to the government to successfully implement the flagship programme, Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Generation Programme (MGNREGS), in the state.

Asserting the important role of the zilla parishads, pradhans and members of gram panchayats, the chief minister further said that government considers the honorarium given to them is not suited with the times and government will be revising the rates at the earliest.

To become a developed country, development of villages is a must.

Without developing villages, the country cannot be developed.

That is why his government is giving special emphasis to take up rural developmental schemes, he said.

Among the developmental schemes, the MGNREGS apart from indulging villagers in developmental works, also targets to generate employment for villagers across the state.

The scheme targets 100 days employment to the beneficiaries of MGNREGS.

His government is determined to ensure right to education and food security to each and every citizen in the state, Chief Minister, O Ibobi added.

Rural Development and Panchayati Raj minister Md Allauddin, who presided the function, said that the two-tier panchayati raj system in the state will be upgraded to a three-tier system.

Government is working out to implement the same from next year.

The rural development minister expressed dissatisfaction over the irregular meetings of the gram sabhas in the panchayats.

Ninety percent of the gram panchayats in the state do not hold gram sabha meetings.

They submit reports of meetings only for the record.

This creates many inconveniences.

He urged to hold gram sabhas to avoid difficulties and hindrances in the way of implementation of village developmental and villagers' welfare programmes.

He further observed that if funds invested for developmental works in the rural development sector were utilized properly, there would no bad village roads in the state and appealed to the members to implement projects in their hands with sincerity.

Adhayakshas of Imphal east P Bimola, Ksh Sorojini of Bishnupur and Md Abtar of Thoubal attended the function as guests of honour.

Comment