Staff Reporter

Shillong, Oct 1: BJP Tura MDC Bernard N Marak has requested the Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma to take necessary rectification and action for better service delivery to the poor beneficiaries of central schemes irrespective of their political affiliations. 

In a letter to the CM, Marak said he had toured the blocks of West Garo Hills and found that almost all the blocks have completed the Aadhaar seeding.

"But Aadhaar seeding at the bank is yet to be completed which to my information was delayed due to lack of manpower, electricity and network problems, which l believe can be rectified by the district administration through the direction provided by your office. Administration can direct all the mobile service providers and the banks to complete Aadhaar seeding at the earliest so that the beneficiaries are not deprived of their dues. This is affecting even the students who are anticipating scholarships," he said.

He also suggested the need to request the mobile companies to enhance their services as now NREGA attendances to be uploaded online failing which villagers loses day's wages in the VECs. 

"l also request you to allot some funds for mass awareness on need to take Aadhaar seeding seriously and complete before 31st December 2023 they will lose all their benefits," he said.

On the issue of manpower shortage faced by the blocks, Marak requested the CM to fill up the vacant posts for gram sevaks and other vacant posts and to provide infrastructure in all the blocks with offices for assistant engineers, agriculture officers etc.

He said these blocks are not having sufficient rooms for officers to function properly which is causing immense difficulty to the staffs to work freely and to meet the targets in time.

In every block there are approximately 15 gram sevak circles but there are hardly enough gram sevaks to cover their GS circles. 

Surprisingly, in some blocks gram sevakas (females) are doing duties to cover the areas which is very unfortunate and against norms. 

"In all the blocks, the employees under Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (RGSA) are yet to receive their salaries for last 6 months. You are kindly requested to take up the matter with the concerned heads of the departments to solve the issues faced by the employees," he said.

Further, the MDC also urged the chief minister to look into the failure of the government to release the funds meant for the beneficiaries in the blocks.

He said in many blocks, the backlog dues are huge and payment for materials is not released in time even though the funds were sanctioned by the centre. The beneficiaries seldom get 100 days work and above that they are paid less than the amount due to them and on a contrary they are made to believe that the Centre Government is not releasing the funds to them which is utter lie. 

"Such absurd excuses blaming the center should be avoided at all cost.. There are agents who are attempting to malign the Centre Government's noble initiative under the leadership of our Prime Minister Narendra Modi needs to be avoided in future," Marak said while adding that online payment through PFMS should be made mandatory so that there are no leakages of fund and that the beneficiaries are not deprived.