The Chief Minister Omar Abdullah Wednesday said that the government was examining two proposals of creating a separate department for implementation of Pubic Service Guarantee Act (PSGA) under the overall control of the Chief Minister or a Commission like that of State Right to Information Commission to be headed by an independent authority to enforce its provisions in J&K.
He was addressing a gathering of Sarpanchs and Panchs at Parade Ground here today. The function was organized by Rural Development and Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Departments.
Describing Pubic Service Guarantee Act (PSGA) as one of the biggest initiatives of his government for public empowerment and good-governance, Omar said that the state of Jammu and Kashmir was among the vanguard states in the country to have such a powerful and effective Act in place to ensure prompt service delivery.“Anna Hazare sat on hunger strike for similar legislation,” he said highlighting the importance of this piece of legislation to curbing corruption at lower levels and making service delivery time bound.“We are examining two proposals of creating a separate department for implementation of PSGA under the overall control of the Chief Minister or a Commission like that of State Right to Information Commission to be headed by an independent authority to enforce the provisions of PSGA in the state,” he said indicating the thrust government wanted to lay on the strict implementation of the Act across the state.
The Chief Minister said that Panchayats would be integrated with the planning process at Halqa level during the next financial year adding that this mechanism could not be rolled out in the current financial year as the elections to these institutions were completed in mid year.
Omar said that the elections of Block Panchayat Councils are likely to be completed by March 2012 and those of District Panchayat Councils soon after the Urban Local Body elections are held. Indicating allowances for Sarpanchs and Panchs, the Chief Minister said that a proposal in this regard has been prepared by the Rural Development Department and is presently under examination in the Finance Department.
“We intend to accommodate your demand in this regard to some extent,” he told the grand Panchayat meeting of Sarpanchs and Panchs asking them to devote their full attention to work for public good.
Underlining the role of panchayats in disseminating the provisions of PSGA, Omar said that these basic democratic institutions would play key role in helping the people to get public service delivery in fixed time frame as envisaged in the Act. The Panchayat members could create greater public awareness about the Act educating the people as to how they could take best advantage of it for obtaining public services from the administration in a fixed time limit.
Omar said that the Act turned the table so far as bribes were obtained by unscrupulous government employees for providing public services like issuance of building permission, driving licenses, state subject certificates, ration card, electric and water connections, etc., to common people. “Now the Act has empowered the people to receive compensation from the erring officials for failing or showing any laxity or delay in providing these services within the specified time frame,” he said asking the people to utilize the provisions of this Act to their best use.
“I have been told that the first fine under the Act has been imposed on a Tehsildar from Reasi for not providing Reserve Category Certificate to the applicant in fixed time limit. A portion of it will be paid as compensation to the affected applicant,” he said adding that the Act would be an effective tool in the hands of people to transform the service delivery system of the administration.
The Chief Minister said he had directed bringing some services of Home Department under the ambit of the Act which included issuance of copy of FIR and character certificates. The issuance of MGNREGA card had also been asked to be made time bound under the PSGA. Omar said “Despite many attempts made to disturb law and order and peace in the Valley and other parts of the state by certain elements utilizing different untoward incidents, the people understood the designs of these elements and rejected them totally”, he added and asked the hand of common masses for leading the state towards the shore of peace, prosperity and progress.
Omar gave full credit to people for extending their full support to him in steering the state out of various troubles and said that the credit goes to people for creating 2011 as a year of peace and economic betterment.
The Chief Minister said that the peaceful 2011 helped in registering large number of tourists in the state. “About 13 lakh tourists visited the Valley, 6.37 yatris visited Shri Amarnath and over one crore pilgrims visited Mata Vaishno Devi,” he said adding that this helped in generation of wide-ranging economic activities. He expressed the hope that 2012 would also be the year of peace and development in the state. Omar lauded the efforts of PDD, R&B, PHE, CAPD, BEACON, National Power Grid Corporation and other agencies and individuals who worked tirelessly in the biting cold to restore the public services that were severely damaged by the recent heavy snowfall in the Valley and Jammu areas. “I was overseeing the operation and showing my solidarity with them,” he said adding that they actually worked in most difficult conditions and restored the services.
Speaking on the occasion, Minister for Rural Development, Law and Justice, Ali Mohammed Sagar said that those (PDP leadership) who launched false propaganda against the coalition government are in fact very much frustrated by witnessing the success of Omar-led dispensation in all fields of life. “These people are jealous of the significant work culture put in place by the coalition and historic achievements registered to ameliorate the lot of masses,” he added and said that during their (PDP) tenure they could not even transfer one service to panchayats and urban local bodies and made these non-entity units.
He said coalition government would continue to work with added efforts to bring about socio-economic change and peace in Jammu and Kashmir making it prosperous, tranquil and progressive state as dreamt by Sher-i-Kashmir Sheikh Mohammed Abdullah.
Presenting resume of the achievements registered in Rural Development and other sectors during the last three years, Sagar said that the funds earmarked for MGNREGA in 2008-09 when the present government took over were just Rs 69 Cr which have been raised to Rs 750 Cr this year and next year’s allocations would be Rs 1500 Cr. He said wide-ranging development works in huge numbers in the form of construction of roads, culverts, small bridges, check dams and protection bunds have been completed across the state besides raising plantations and conducting land development works.
Sagar said that the state government has sent a proposed to the Government of India for enhancing the daily rate of MGNREGA workers from Rs. 100 to Rs. 125. “We want to raise it to Rs. 200 in near future,” he added and said that snow clearance operation was also being brought under ambit of MGNREGA to provide additional mandays of work to the labourers in winter months.
Sagar expressed gratitude to the UPA leadership for extending full support to Omar-led coalition for meeting all challenges and carrying forward development process with a purpose and determination. He said that coalition government was working in tandem to bring about socio-economic change in the state and restore peace. “We would work with same determination and commitment during next three years under the leadership of Omar Abdullah to achieve the targets on all fronts,” he added.
The Law Minister also referred to the measures government has initiated for the welfare of Bench and Bar and talked about in detail about the enactment of historic Public Service Guarantee Act in the state.In his speech Minister of State for Rural Development, Ajaz Ahmad Khan said that the people were real judges to judge the performance of a government. He said the work card of coalition dispensation under the leadership of Omar Abdullah was the mirror of its public friendly and development oriented approach.Khan said that the achievements registered in rural development and other sectors itself speak of the government’s intension at revolutionizing the socio-economic conditions of the people especially living in far-flung and backward area.
He also talked about the holding of panchayat elections and transferring of powers to the sarpanches and panches and said that the powerful, effective and viable panchayat system is the aim of the government.
Both Sagar and Khan lauded the Chief Minister for himself monitoring the restoration of public services to the people that were disrupted due to heavy snowfall. “Your visits to various affected districts in the Valley and in Jammu and personally overseeing the restoration operation in difficult situation put in energy and enthusiasm in the functionaries and helped restoration of services as early as possible,” they said.
Omar inaugurated the photo exhibition organized by Information Department to depict the three years achievements registered in the Rural Development sector.The Chief Minister released Urdu, Hindi and English version of Public Service Guarantee Act in a form of a Book published by the Rural Development Department. He also released Report Card of the Department for last three years and a newsletter by the Department of Law and Justice.
The Chief Minister also released revised 3 Vols. of J&K Law Book. Its 6 more Vols. are expected by March 2012.Present on the occasion were Minister for Industries, S S Slathia, Minister for Higher Education, Abdul Gani Malik, Minister for Sheep and Animal Husbandry, Aga Syed Ruhulla, Minister of State for Power, Shabir Ahmad Khan, Advisors to the Chief Minister, Mubarak Gul and Devender Singh Rana, Vice Chairpersons of Advisory Boards, Swarn Lata, Rachpal Singh, Bashir Ahmad Naaz and Kuldeep Raj, legislators, senior officers and sarpanches and panches from various areas of the state.Commissioner Secretary Rural Development, Farooq Ahmad Peer presented the welcome address while the Secretary Law G H Tantray presented vote of thanks.
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