J&K govt to give life insurance to Panchayat representatives

Jammu: Jammu and Kashmir government on Tuesday said steps were being taken to provide life insurance to panchayat representatives. "Honorarium and sitting fees of Panchayat Representatives have been fixed and steps are being taken to provide Life Insurance Cover," Minister for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, Ali Mohammad Sagar, said in the Legislative Council. He said large sum of money was also spent on training the Panchayat representatives under various schemes.

"Under Backward Regions Grant Fund and Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Yojna, capacity building and extensive trainings are being provided to the Panchayat Representatives as per the national capacity building frame work and for the financial year 2012-2013, an amount of Rs 11.85 crore has been made available for the purpose," Sagar said. The minister said an amount of Rs 230 crore under 13th Finance Commission has been released mainly for the construction of Panchayat Ghars and in convergence with other schemes, a target of 1,788 Panchayat Ghars is to be completed with full funding. He said as a grant in aid Rs 72.24 crore has been released to the Halqa Panchayats for asset creation, furniture and rent. On MGNREGA, the Minister said against the labour budget of Rs 1,077 crore for the financial year 2012-2013, an amount of Rs 1,365 crore has been approved for 2013-2014. "During the financial year 2012-2013 there has been an availability of Rs 912.37 crore against which an expenditure of Rs 620.41 crore has been made by ending February 2013," he said. "6,66,760 bank accounts have been opened in various banks for unskilled workers through which payments to them are made under the scheme. Besides, there are 19,822 post office accounts for them which are active," he said. Out of the expenditure of Rs 620.41 crore, an amount of Rs 456 crore has been uploaded on the management information system, which provides the Panchayat wise details of works, estimates, bills, muster seeds, bank accounts, job card holders, expenditure made, material purchased as a step towards ensuring transparency. He said the wage rate under the scheme has been enhanced from Rs 131 per day to Rs 145 per day and under supporting staff of the scheme 823 technical assistants, 1,509 Gram Rozgar Sevaks and 249 computer operators have been engaged. "As a step towards transparency and accountability action has been taken against delinquent officers and officials and presently 52 gazetted and 51 non-gazetted employees have been charge sheeted," Sagar said. He said under Indira Awas Yojna, the assistance is being enhanced from Rs 48,500 to 75,000 from the financial year 2013-2014 and the online monitoring of the scheme is being done. Similarly, under Integrated Watershed Management Programme (IWMP), a perspective plan of Rs 2300 crore stands approved and 84 projects worth Rs 524.85 crore sanctioned, he said. PTI