A bright start to 2015

Gogoi announces sops with eye on public health

By Our Staff Reporter

Guwahati, January 1: Assam government is planning to impose restrictions on use of pesticides to protect public health and the environment.

While announcing schemes for margilized sections of the society on New Year’s Day, Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said lack of monitoring and awareness has led to widespread use of synthetic pesticides which pose health hazards due to the chemical residues in the products.

“We will bring in a regulation on the lines of the Plant Protection Code (PPC) of the Tea Board of India that aims to handle the pesticide mece in tea cultivation,” he said.

Every sub division will have laboratories for testing and monitoring.

Environmental and human health problems related to the use of synthetic pesticides have created an increasing pressure against their use. In recent years, non–chemical altertives for pest control have been developed and modern pesticides have become safer and more specific. Technical developments of the application equipment have also improved to eble their proper application. However, their proper professiol use has not always been transferred satisfactorily to field practice.

Moreover, Gogoi said, every farmer who had land holdings will be given smart cards which will have indicators regarding soil quality and composition. “This will ensure optimum utility of the land and increase productivity as the farmers will know how to use their land best,” Gogoi said.

Studies will also be conducted to get an insight on the State’s water resources, tural resources, mineral resources and human resources. “This will help in better future planning,” he said.

The Chief Minister also announced that the government will launch a mission on nutritious food which will primarily target women suffering from malnutrition.

Declaring a slew of welfare programmes and schemes, Gogoi said the focus will be on women, children and aged, who are generally left out of various government schemes.

He said top priority will be on education, skill development and employment generation.

Among the various programmes announced are free medical treatment for minors (below 18 years) of BPL families, free residential schools for girls of BPL families, pension for unmarried women and dependant widows and hostel for working women in all districts.

Underlining the need for proper implementation of such schemes, Gogoi said a deputy development commissioner will be appointed in each district to oversee these schemes and divisiol commissiorate’s will be upgraded into ‘mini–secretariats’ so that time–consuming processes are cut short.

He pointed out that a retired IAS officer has already been appointed to review the implementation of flagship welfare programmes.

 “We will attempt 100 per cent implementation of the schemes. But even if that is not achieved, we will target at least 70 per cent success this year,” the CM said.

He said the Right to Public Service Act and e–governce were tools that could help to this end.

Gogoi also informed that the NRC update exercise will start from February. “Moreover, we will now be able to appoint judges in the Foreigners Tribuls after the Centre agreed to relax the qualification norms,” the CM said, also informing that a pay commission will be set up for the State employees this year.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

*    Thrust areas –  education, skill development and employment

*    65,000 permanent and contractual jobs

*    IAS coaching centre for students

*    7 lakh self help groups (SHGs) to be formed

*    Free medical treatment for BPL persons (below 18 years of age)

*    Government to bear interest (above 4 per cent) on education loans

*    Solar lights to 2 lakh poor students

*    Residential schools for BPL girl students in every district

*    NRC update work to start from February, 2015

*    Two deputy commissioners in each district

*    Divisiol commissionerates will be upgraded to mini secretariats

*    Hostel for working women in every district

*    Homes for orphaned children

*    Pay commission for State employees

*    State Water Magement Authority to be instituted

*    Studies to be conducted on the State’s water resources, tural resources, mineral resources and human resources

*    Implementation of the Right to Public Service Act

*    Judges to be appointed in Foreigner’s Tribuls

*    Restriction to be imposed on use of pesticides

*    Farmers to get smart cards on land quality

*    1 lakh homeless people (not covered under IAY) will get Rs 25,000 each

*    Blanket and yarn (1000 beneficiaries in each LAC)

*    Rs 10,000 to poor middle–aged woman at the time of marriage

*    Rs 10,000 and vocatiol training to poor unmarried women

*    Carpenters, masons etc to get Rs 5,000 (1000 beneficiaries in each LAC)

*    Rs 2,000 to poor widows

*    Budget of development councils to be doubled

*    Special scheme for Adivasis

*    Old age pension (1000 in each LAC)

*    Steps to reduce IMR, MMR

*    Mission for nutritious food