Ministers felicitated at Panchayat convention

Bhopal, Jan 07: At a state level convention of panchayat officers and employees here today, the Panchayat and Rural Development Minister Rustam Singh; Finance Minister Raghavji and former Panchayat and Rural Development Minister and President of the state unit of the BJP Narendra Tomar were felicitated by its federation for setting up of a separate Panchayat Directorate in the state. The federation office-bearers also expressed their gratitude towards the trio for their initiatives towards setting up of the independent directorate. The federation has been demanding constitution of a separate panchayat directorate in the state for a long period.

Addressing the convention, Panchayat and Rural Development Minister Rustam Singh said that the present government is all alive and sensitive towards safeguarding the interests of government employees. A committee has been constituted to seek a solution to the grievances and to suggest measures for expansion of facilities to panchayat employees. Rustam Singh also mentioned that the post of gram sahayak, which was declared dead, has now been revived. Accordingly, a gram sahayak and assistant development officer would now be notified as Panchayat Coordination Officer. Further, Four thousand new posts of panchayat coordination officers would be created in the Panchayat Directorate. This would give a new impetus to the ongoing process of rural development in Madhya Pradesh, he added.

Addressing the convention, the Finance Minister Raghavji said that the development witnessed in rural sector in the state over the past four years, has not taken place even in the last 55 years. To support his claim, he informed that maximum funds are being spent on rural development in the state. As a result of these efforts, all villages have internal roads, all schools have their own buildings and there are handpumps in each village. Existing schools in the villages are being upgraded. Raghavji assured that the Finance Department would extend full cooperation in fulfilling the justified demands of the employees of Panchayat Directorate.

Former Panchayat and Rural Development Minister Narendra Tomar said that the present government is committed to rural development, welfare of poor and taking care of interests of government employees. He informed that today panchayats are being made available funds amounting to Rs 20 lakh to Rs one crore for execution of development works. The federation President, RP Shukla, working president Harivallabh Sharma, general secretary Pratap Bhadouriya, patron Mahendra Singh Yadav and officers, employees and panchayat karmis from all over the state participated in the convention.