The State Government was contemplating upon the proposal to carry a detailed survey to identify the families which had no house to live in so that a special campaign could be launched to provide the same to them. This was revealed by Shri Virbhadra Singh, Chief Minister, while presiding over the State Level Planning, Development and Twenty Point Programme Review Committee meeting held here today.
Chief Minister said that the State Government was vigorously implementing the Indira Awas Yojna and Rajeev Awas Yojna to providing housing facilities to the IRDP and below poverty line eligible families and carrying their selection through the local gram panchayats. He said that due to one reason or the other some families had no adequate housing facilities for which the State Government had launched the Indira Awas and Rajeev Awas Yojna and housing subsidies were being provided to the eligible families. He said that to cover the gap the State Government was planning to launch a special campaign to provide housing to every eligible family and was considering to get the survey done of such families in a time bound manner under the Block Development Officers of the concerned areas. He said that adequate funds would be procured after getting the survey report to finance the entire housing programme so that every family was provided house in the State. He added that the State Government was committed to cater to the welfare of the lepers of the State and had envisioned a housing scheme ‘Sarvodaya’ for their rehabilitation. He said that such colonies were being developed near to the leprosy hospitals in the State where the cured lepers would be shifted so that they could dwell comfortably and also avail of the medical facilities available in the hospital.
Shri Virbhadra Singh said that the State Government was exploring the possibilities to draw water from the Gobind Sagar, Pong Dam, Pandoh Dam and other such hydro power dams for feeding the drinking water supply and irrigation schemes of the respective areas. He said that the matter was being raised at appropriate forum and concerted efforts made to get the right to draw the water from the project dams for the benefit of the people. He said that the people of the state had contributed significantly towards the construction of such dams and the drinking water supply and irrigation schemes in the area got non-functional due to sub merger of the sources or drying up of the same, which required to be compensated by making the sufficient water available to feed the drinking water supply and irrigation schemes.
Chief Minister said that the State Government would be formulating a major plan for the construction of the housing colonies for its employees at all level so that the employees serving in various capacities were provided reasonably comfortable housing facilities near to the place of their working. He said that adequate funds would be procured for financing the project so that the same was completed expeditiously. He said that with the facilities of government housing the efficiency of the employees would also get improved. He said that the employees were the back bone of the government and instrumental in effective implementation of the policies and programmes in every nook and corner of the State. He said that his government had maintained very cordial relations with its employees and all benefits due to them had been disbursed besides settling all pending issues in a friendly environment. He expressed concern over the practice amongst some of the field functionaries of not staying in their earmarked accommodation which was putting the structures in dilapidated conditions and causing loss to the state property. He said that all such officers and officials allotted earmarked accommodation would be required to stay in the allotted accommodation as part of their duty failing which disciplinary action would be initiated against them for disobedience of the government orders.
Shri Virbhadra Singh said that the State Government was considering import of the insecticide to keep the bee healthy and boost the bee keeping industry since the State had best ecological conditions for quality honey collection. He said that honey could be a major source of income to the farmers and been keepers and added attention would be paid to strengthen the honey industry besides modernizing the honey processing plant at Kandrori in district Kangra to meet the demand of the growers of the honey producers of the State. He said that the honey bee had been prone to various emerging ailments which was affecting the honey production. He said that with the import of the new insecticide the state would be in a position to maintain the health of the honey bees.
Chief Minister emphasized the need for making provisions in all the departmental budgets for coming years for the Chief Minister’s announcements based upon the local and emerging requirements of the people of different areas all over the State. He said that frequent touring and interaction with the masses reveal some urgent developmental projects not projected in the budget for the year for which special budgetary provisions was required to be made to fulfill the same. He said that the 20-Point Programme was an ambitious programme of the Government which needed to be implemented with all vigour and dedication to achieve the desired results.
CM emphasized the need for speedy completion of all the developmental projects and reduce the codal formalities, simplify the tendering process, by maintaining transparency in the functioning of the department concerned. He said that no contractor should be assigned more than two government works at a time and delay in any case would be viewed seriously at the government level and could result into taking strict action against errants, including officers responsible for the projects. He said that strict quality control required to be maintained with cost effectiveness. He said that the executing departments required to maintain close coordination for speedy completion of the projects. He said that the allotted targets required to be achieved within the stipulated period of time and funds spent gainfully. He said that every department was required to spend their budgets well before the first of March next year so that the budget could be compiled well before the closure of the financial year. He also directed them to pose their projects for Centrally Sponsored Schemes well in time so that the same were reflected in the Union Budget.
