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New Indian Express
11 hours ago
- General
- New Indian Express
Odisha govt asks collectors to complete rural drinking water projects
BHUBANESWAR: The state government on Friday asked all district collectors to ensure that rural households in their jurisdiction have access to safe drinking water. Chief secretary Manoj Ahuja reviewed the progress of rural drinking water projects at a high-level meeting on Friday and directed all collectors to make field visits along with other district level officers to make sure they are completed in time. The chief secretary said that problems for execution of drinking water projects like electricity connection and clearances from different departments should be solved by regular meetings of the collectors with officials of the Panchayati Raj and Rural Development departments. The chief secretary was informed that the state government has sanctioned 18,677 single village piped water supply schemes (SVPWSS), out of which 12,289 in different stages of completion. The government aims to complete 238 SVPWSS by June 2025 and 752 by December 2025. Similarly, 16 mega drinking water supply schemes are nearing completion, while 191 are still under construction. These projects are expected to be completed by March 2027. Besides, 4,855 solar based drinking water schemes have been sanctioned, with 3,652 under implementation. Ahuja said that the target of the state government is to provide piped water supply to 3,652 villages through solar-powered schemes by September 2025. The chief secretary also asked the officials of both departments to review implementation of the drinking water schemes in various districts regularly.
The Hindu
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Congress accuses BJP of undermining local governance in Rajasthan
The Opposition Congress on Wednesday (May 28, 2025) accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Rajasthan of systematically weakening the urban local bodies and Panchayati Raj institutions - first by invoking the need for delimitation and subsequently by citing the ongoing survey for identifying Other Backward Classes (OBCs). The party alleged that the BJP's slogan of 'one State, one election' was merely a political gimmick. The Rajasthan High Court had, on May 23, directed the State government not to issue a notification regarding the redrawn boundaries of village panchayats until a high-level committee submitted its findings on objections raised by more than 40 petitioners. The petitioners have argued that the delimitation process violated established guidelines. Meanwhile, a Cabinet Sub-Committee held two days of meetings, on Tuesday and Wednesday, to review proposals for the delimitation of municipal bodies across all seven administrative divisions. 'The delimitation process will make urban administration people-oriented and improve transparency and accountability,' Minister of State for Urban Development Jhabar Singh Kharra, who is the Sub-Committee's convenor, said. However, large sections of the public, along with the petitioners, have voiced concern over the lack of transparency in how villages are being added or removed during the reorganisation exercise. In several instances, relatively less populated and underdeveloped villages are being proposed as new panchayat headquarters, raising questions about the availability of land and infrastructure. Petitioners have also alleged that infrastructure-poor regions are being prioritised over more developed and populous villages in the reorganisation process. Responding to these concerns in court, Advocate General Rajendra Prasad said that the proposals remain at a 'preliminary stage'. The Congress further criticised the BJP government for the continued postponement of local body and panchayat elections. The State administration had dissolved nine of the 17 districts that were carved out during the previous Congress-led government on December 28, 2024. Though eight new districts were endorsed by the current regime, the process of establishing new zila parishads, panchayat samitis, and gram panchayats remains incomplete. Welcoming the High Court's interim stay, Leader of the Opposition Tika Ram Jully, speaking at a Samvidhan Bachao rally in Malpura, said, 'The BJP government had proposed reorganisation of panchayats through the Collectors, while ignoring the objections raised by the general public. This entire chakravyuh [trap] of the BJP in the name of 'one State, one election' is a stunt to please its political masters sitting in Delhi.' Byelections to fill vacant positions in municipal bodies and Panchayati Raj institutions - including ward members, panches, and sarpanches - are now scheduled for June 8. Earlier this week, the State government appointed a chairperson and members to the State OBC Commission to fulfil a Supreme Court-mandated requirement for conducting an OBC survey before extending reservation benefits in the local body polls. 'No work was done in one-and-a-half years since the BJP government took over. The Commission has been given three months' time for conducting the OBC survey, which is nearly impossible,' Pradesh Congress Committee president Govind Singh Dotasra said. He alleged that the ruling party's real intent was to stall elections and bypass constitutional mandates through 'arbitrary decisions' affecting democratic institutions.
New Indian Express
3 days ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Over 36.81 lakh have applied for housing assistance under PMAY-G, says Odisha minister
BHUBANESWAR: With the extended timeline for self-survey or assisted survey through registered surveyors for the identification of eligible rural households under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Gramin coming to an end on May 31, the state government has urged left-out beneficiaries to complete the registration process in time. Around 36.81 lakh people in the state have registered either through AwaasPlus mobile app or online portal of the government so far for PMAY-G housing assistance. Verification of applications will be done after the monsoon season, said Panchayati Raj minister Rabi Narayan Naik here on Tuesday. The minister said a large number of eligible people were not covered under the scheme by the previous BJD government due to political reasons. 'After BJP came to power, the survey is being done in the most transparent manner. We are promise-bound to ensure not a single eligible person is left out. We will ensure that all homeless have a pucca house of their own and there are no kutcha houses in the state,' Naik said. The state has received cumulative sanction for 28.49 lakh houses under PMAY-G out of which, 23.97 lakh have already been constructed. Around 60,000 houses have been allocated to beneficiaries under Antyodaya Gruha Yojana, a flagship housing scheme for low-income households not selected under PMAY. Work orders will be issued to all these beneficiaries within two months, he said.
Hindustan Times
4 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Tackling the bane: Public awareness drive against child labour in Lko on June 12
The state government has set an ambitious target of making Uttar Pradesh completely child labour-free by the year 2027. To achieve this, the state government has initiated coordination between key departments such as education, women and child development, Panchayati Raj, home, health, social welfare, rural development, urban development, and vocational education, all under the labour department, a spokesperson said. The government has devised innovative and concrete steps to address key challenges, including data scarcity and ensuring the retention of children in schools, which are critical in eliminating child labour and paving the way towards a more prosperous society. One of the major hurdles in eradicating child labour has been the lack of reliable data, as comprehensive statistics have not been updated since 2011 census. To address this, the Panchayati Raj department has been tasked with collecting data on working children and child labourers at the village level. This data will be shared with the labour and education departments, facilitating the implementation of targeted child labour elimination programmes. Additionally, district-level task forces will be established across all districts to expedite data collection with the help of local panchayats. Furthermore, in partnership with Unicef, the government will compile a booklet detailing the schemes of various departments that benefit child laborers and their families. This initiative will ensure that government assistance reaches every child and their family in need, supporting the broader goal of eliminating child labour in the state. Another significant challenge in eradicating child labour is the retention of children, who, despite being enrolled in schools, are irregular in attendance and are at risk of falling into the category of potential child labourers. To address this, the women welfare department's Bal Seva Yojana, sponsorship scheme, and child helpline are actively providing education and rehabilitation opportunities for these children. Re-implementing 'Naya Savera' scheme The government is considering re-implementation of the 'Naya Savera' scheme after a qualitative evaluation, with the aim of providing better opportunities to child labourers. To raise public awareness, a large-scale programme will be organised in Lucknow on June 12, World Day Against Child Labour, which will involve the cooperation of non-governmental organisations (NGOs), employers, and labour organisations.
India Gazette
4 days ago
- Politics
- India Gazette
Uttar Pradesh government adopts mission for abolishing child labour from state by 2027
Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], May 27 (ANI): The Uttar Pradesh government has set a target of making the state free from child labour by the year 2027. Unprecedented coordination has been established between the departments of Education, Women and Child Development, Panchayati Raj, Home, Health, Social Welfare, Rural Development, Urban Development, and Vocational Education under the leadership of the Labour Department to achieve the goal. To deal with challenges like a lack of data and retention of children in schools in the path of eliminating child labour, the government has taken concrete and innovative steps, which are taking Uttar Pradesh towards an empowered and prosperous society. The biggest challenge of eliminating child labour has been the unavailability of reliable data, as no comprehensive data is available in this regard since the 2011 census. To deal with this problem, the Panchayati Raj Department has been entrusted with the responsibility of collecting data on working children and child labourers at the village level. This data will be shared with the Labour and Education Department, so that child labour elimination programmes can be implemented effectively. District task forces will soon be formed in all districts, which will speed up data collection in collaboration with panchayats. In addition, in collaboration with UNICEF, schemes of various departments will be compiled in a booklet, which will contain information about schemes benefiting child labourers and their families. This initiative will ensure that the benefits of government schemes reach every needy child and their family. Another major challenge is the retention of those children in schools who do not come to school regularly despite enrollment and fall into the category of potential child labour. To deal with this problem, the Women Welfare Department's Bal Seva Yojana, Sponsorship Scheme, and Child Helpline are being actively implemented. Through these schemes, children are being provided opportunities for education and rehabilitation. The government's 'Naya Savera' scheme is being qualitatively evaluated, and its re-implementation is being considered so that child labourers can get better opportunities. For public awareness, a grand program will be organised in Lucknow on June 12 on International Child Labour Prohibition Day, in which the cooperation of non-governmental organisations (NGOs), employers and labour organisations will be taken. This resolution of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is building a new Uttar Pradesh with the coordination and collective efforts of various departments. Through data compilation, awareness campaigns, and rehabilitation schemes, the government is not only moving rapidly towards eliminating child labour but is also playing a leading role in providing education and a secure future to children. This campaign will prove to be a milestone in the direction of making Uttar Pradesh child labour-free by 2027. The Yogi government is running the Atal Residential School for the children of workers in all the divisions. Apart from this, the Chief Minister is trying to connect the children of rural areas and child labour with quality education through the Composite School. (ANI)
