Srinagar, June 08: In order to facilitate corruption-free and accountable administration, legislators in Jammu and Kashmir would have supervisory powers to monitor development works at ground level. State Finance Minister Muzaffar Hussain Baig said the coalition government was evolving a new mechanism to give greater role to the legislators in the perspective planning while rural Development Minister Peerzada Mohammad Sayeed was more forthright saying public representatives would be vested with powers to monitor and supervise development works at ground level.

The coalition government would strengthen the Panchayati Raj system and 50 per cent of the funds earmarked for Centrally sponsored schemes were directed to the local panchayats for executing development works for the first time in the state, Peerzada said replying to discussion on demands for grants for the departments under his charge in the assembly yesterday.

The minister said a series of reforms have been undertaken to eliminate corruption in the rural development adding that 31 officers have been placed under suspension for dereliction of duty during last six months. These include a deputy director, two assistant commissioners, two executive engineers, a block development officer, an assistant engineer, four junior engineers and 20 other employees.

The coalition government at the outset framed recruitment rules for the rural development department in a bid to bring improvement in its functioning, he said, adding out of 119 community blocks only 56 have confirmed block development officers (BDOs) while the rest vacancies are manned by assistant project officers and Panchayat inspectors.

Bureau Report