HT Bureau
GUWAHATI, Aug 18: In a review meeting at the Cachar District Commissioner’s Office on Saturday, state Panchayat and Rural Development minister, Ranjeet Kumar Dass, underscored the urgent need for the swift completion of development projects in Cachar district. Minister Dass, who is on a 5-day visit to Barak Valley, emphasised timely execution and effective utilisation of resources to meet the state’s development targets.
During the meeting, minister Dass was presented with the progress of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana – Gramin (PMAY-G), where 93 percent of the targeted 1,01,460 houses have been completed across 15 development blocks in Cachar district. He firmly directed officials to expedite the completion of the remaining houses by the deadline of September 30, 2024. This directive follows Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent announcement to add an additional 7 to 8 lakh houses under the scheme, with new targets allocated for Assam.
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The meeting also touched upon the progress of Aadhaar seeding in the district’s development blocks. Officials reported that 5,046 Aadhaar seedings have been completed out of the targeted 6,949 houses, achieving 73 percent of the goal. Minister Dass urged the concerned authorities to intensify efforts to reach 100 percent Aadhaar seeding.
The financial progress under the 15th Finance Commission’s recommendations was another critical area of discussion. Minister Dass reviewed the financial achievements at various Panchayat levels in Cachar. It was noted that the Zilla Parishad has made financial progress of Rs 6.81 crore out of an allocated Rs 79.58 crore, the Ancholik Panchayat has achieved Rs 24.09 crore out of Rs 70.43 crore, and the Gaon Panchayat has reached Rs 4.83 crore out of Rs 63.27 crore. Minister Dass urged the officials to fast-track the utilisation of the second instalment of funds and initiate new schemes across all Panchayat levels.
The minister also laid stress on the progress of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) projects and called upon the block development officers (BDOs) to ensure the timely implementation of the measures. He underscored the importance of the government’s commitment to ensuring rural employment benefits.
The meeting also covered the Amrit Sarovar projects, with minister Dass placing special emphasis on the importance of completing all 78 projects in Cachar district. He directed officials to ensure that these Sarovars, essential for water conservation and community use, are adequately supplied with water.
The review meeting concluded with minister Dass calling for close collaboration among all departments to ensure the timely execution of projects and the achievement of the state’s broader development goals.
The meeting was attended by Silchar MLA Dipayan Chakraborty, Lakhipur MLA Kaushik Rai, Udharband MLA Mihir Kanti Som, Cachar district commissioner Rohan Kumar Jha, district BJP vice president Amitabh Rai, district BJP president Bimalendu Roy, chief executive officer Pranab Kumar Bora, block development officers (BDOs), and officials from the Food & Civil Supplies Department.
