Minister for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, Law and Justice, Abdul Haq Khan, today said that transparency and accountability are the benchmarks of the present coalition government and there is no space for corrupt practices and persons in the present government.The Minister was speaking during a meeting convened in Ganderbal to review the functioning of the Rural Development Department here. He said various innovative measures taken under the leadership of Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti have brought a visible change in governance in the state and everyone has been made accountable in the system.Appealing people to become active stakeholders in effective implementation of developmental programmes at the grassroots level, the Minister said that participation in Gram Sabhas guarantees active participation of people in decision-making processes.During his speech, the Minister said the Rural Development Department is being made accountable to the masses for their larger benefit. He said the prime concern of the government is to strengthen democracy at grassroots level through Panchayats and Gram Sabhas which are mini Parliaments in rural areas.
He said that Panchayats play a vibrant role in effective execution of developmental programmes by taking advantage of flagship schemes like MGNREGA and other centrally and state sponsored schemes.On the occasion, the Minister directed the ADC Ganderbal to submit performance report of all GRSs of the district. He also directed the DC Ganderbal to hold fresh Gram Sabhas in Tulbagh Panchayat of Sherpathri Block and Safapora Block-B and ensure mass participation in these Sabhas. During the meeting, the Minister was informed that during 2016-17 financial year the Department took up some 2,496 works at a cost of Rs. 46.43 crore out of which Rs 21.33 crores were spend out of the available labour budget of Rs 21.38 crore, adding that some 2,196 works were completed during the year.It was also given out that, during the last fiscal, Department was successful in generating 8.38 lakh man-days for 35,050 Job Card holders in the Ganderbal district under MGNREGA, surpassing the target of 7 lakh man-days for the year. Whereas under the IAY scheme, some 371 houses were taken up for construction during the last fiscal out of which construction of 247 houses was completed at an expenditure of about Rs. 83.97 lakh out of the total available budget of Rs 84.20 lakh.The meeting was attended by DC Ganderbal, ACD Ganderbal and other senior officials of the district.