Assam Government mulling setting up engineering cell under P&RD: Ranjeet Kumar Dass

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: The Assam Government is mulling setting up an engineering cell under the State Panchayat and Rural Development (P&RD) Department. If this cell is created, posts of chief engineer, additional engineers and other posts will be created, said State P& RD Minister Ranjeet Kumar Dass. The minister was addressing the training session of 218 newly-recruited assistant engineers near Azara on Tuesday.

Elaborating on the proposed engineering cell, the minister said that during the implemention of various schemes at the ground level, technical expertise is needed. This expertise is lacking now. "If the engineering cell is set up, the P&RD department will be benefitted and the quality of schemes implemented will also improve," he said. He said that if the engineering cell is set up, these newly-recruited assistant engineers will become a part of that cell. He urged them to use their skills while implementing schemes at the ground level under the gaon panchayats.

Dass said that under Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana -Gramin (PMAY-G), beneficiaries are getting houses with basic facilities. The fund of Rs 1.30 lakh for construction of a house under this scheme is transferred to the beneficiary directly. Under the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, the PMAY houses are getting toilet facilities, water supply under the Jal Jeevan Mission, electricity connection under the Saubhagya scheme and LPG connection under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana. He asked the newly-recruited assistant engineers to closely monitor the implementation of these schemes in the rural areas under the gaon panchayats.

Mentionably, there had been several allegations against the P&RD Department. After the new government came to power, a policy decision was taken to give ACS and Assam Land Revenue Service (ALRS) officers the charge as Block Development Officers (BDOs).

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