Ranchi: Chief minister Hemant Soren on Friday urged the mukhiyas and panchayat representatives to focus on innovative ways to usher in all-round development in their respective villages and generate livelihood that would stop migration and turn these areas self-sufficient.Addressing a divisional-level conclave of mukhiyas, organized by the state rural development and panchayati raj department at the Mega Sports Complex in Hotwar, Soren stressed that his govt’s focus is village development, which in turn will help in overall development of Jharkhand.“All-round development of the state is dependent on your efficiency. I always believe that any state or country can develop only when its villages develop. It is where your roles assume importance,” he said.“People’s representatives at panchayat levels must treat the government’s schemes and resources as their own responsibility to ensure their proper implementation,” he said. The CM further said that the state govt has launched Mukhyamantri Panchayat Protsahan Puraskar Yojana adding to recognize good works at panchayat levels.Expressing concern over the growing water crisis everywhere, he urged panchayat representatives to work on innovative models to save water. “This is the time when cleaning and deepening of old ponds should be carried out so that maximum rainwater harvesting can be done during the monsoon. Additionally, you must construct soak pits near hand pumps so that the groundwater level is maintained,” he advised, asking the panchyati raj department to train people at the grassroots.He also asked gram sabhas to look beyond traditional farming to increase income. “Electricity can be generated by installing solar plants on vacant land, which the government will purchase. This will increase the income of villagers and enable them to become self-reliant,” he said.The government has also signed an MoU with UID for extending Aadhaar facilities at village level through the common service centres, CM said.Rural development minister Deepika Pandey Singh said, “Today, all gram sabhas have panchayat bhavans and govt is giving Rs 15,000 per month for their upkeep. We have also digitized panchayat bhavans for ease of work. This apart, under the 15th Finance Commission, panchayats have been transferred around Rs 900 crores and soon another Rs 600 crore from state finance commission will be released for various schemes,” she said.
