Govt bid to strengthen panchayats in Assam

Guwahati, September 2, 2014: With a view to strengthening panchayats and the rural areas, the State Government has decided to initiate a number of steps including taking up new manpower recruitment at the panchayat level, creating additional infrastructure and launching a slew of new programmes.

Addressing the media here today, Minister for Panchayat & Rural Development Rockybul Hussain said the current infrastructure and manpower is not sufficient for the kind of decentralisation sought to be provided by the government to the local panchayats.

He added that as part of the solution, the Government is implementing certain measures suggested by the Purkayastha Committee.

With regard to manpower, Hussain said interviews have begun for recruitment of 2,202 accountant-cum-computer operators, one for each gram panchayat in Assam, who will be given a monthly salary of Rs 8,000 each.

Besides, advertisements will soon be issued for 2,202 posts of junior engineers with a monthly salary of Rs 10,000 and all panchayats will have panchayat sahayaks who will be given a monthly remuneration of Rs 6,000 each.

“We will also recruit 247 Panchayat Development Officers with a monthly salary of Rs 12,000 for panchayats where panchayat secretaries are not present,” Hussain said.

With regard to infrastructure of panchayats, Hussain said Rs 3 lakh each will be provided for renovation of 100 old buildings and 275 new panchayat buildings will also be constructed.

Source: Assam Tribune