SIKKIM: Minister urges Centre to re-orient NREGA
Posted by barunroy on November 15, 2008
FROM SIKKIM REPORTER
Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Government of Sikkim, Mr. Hishey Lachungpa addressing the meeting. Photo by Sikkim Reporter
Gangtok: Sikkim is the only state which has been implementing all programmes of the UPA government, said Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Government of Sikkim, Mr. Hishey Lachungpa in his address as chief guest at the inaugural function of Public Information Campaign at Chungthang, North Sikkim.
The Minister said while the programmes are being implemented, there are “some problems at the grassroot level”. He appealed to the Central Government “to re-orient the NREGA programme so that it will not be a wage giving scheme but also for creating permanent durable assets like a community hall. On PMGSY, the Minister appealed to the public to cooperate with the authorities for creating roads as it has come to light that some persons have refused permission after already receiving the compensation money for construction of roads.On RTI, he condemned the misuse of the ACT saying that “some persons are only using the Act for creating obstruction for the administration”.
Noting that the area (Chungthang) falls under a remote border district, he said the people have been in touch with the Army and the Border Roads Organisation continuously. They should work with integrity for all possible help and cooperation to Army and BRO. On Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, the Minister said, teachers, school mothers who have been recruited under SSA are worried about the status of their jobs. This insecurity percolates to the students and hence they are not able to give proper attention to their jobs.He announced that the Chief Minister would distribute mobile medical vans under National Rural Health Mission to eight villages of North districts at a function in Mangan in December. As Minister incharge of health, Mr. Lachungpa said that he has already approached the Central Government for strengthening the Ayurvedic centre in Sikkim. The state is rich in medicinal plants and there is a culture of utilising the plants in everyday life which should be exploited.
He urged the youth to utilise the capacity training programmes which the state government has been implementing so that they develop skills. The area MLA said, it is not enough to get degrees but skills are also to be developed as this is an age of competition. (With PIB input)
