Work in tandem for people: Nitish asks Panchayati Raj members

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today asked newly-elected members of three-tier Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRI) to work in coordination to redress grievances of people.
"You should listen to the problems of the people with an endeavour to address those in coordination with each other," he told the PRI members through webcasting at a workshop for the new representatives of zila parishads and gram panchayats here.
Noting that 75 per cent of the PRI members are first timers, Kumar said a better coordination among Representatives at all level will ensure better results.
He said the state government too has listened to the demands of the PRI representatives and launched insurance schemes for them to provide financial support to their families in case of death of a member during his/her tenure.

The state government has also implemented a scheme under which an ex-gratia assistance of Rs five lakh will be given to the next of the kin of a serving representative, he said.
On this occasion, Kumar accused the Centre of reducing funds under Central Schemes (CSS) and said the move was not favourable to strengthening the Panchayati Raj Institutions.

Buildings where PRI members could sit together and resolve people's issues are being constructed, he said, adding that construction of 1,400 buildings had begun of which 547 have been completed and 197 others are in final stages.
On the liquor ban, Kumar said the measure has gone a long way in improving atmosphere in villages.

People will now put their money earlier spent on liquor for better use and this will help improve quality of life and expand markets in the rural areas, he said.
Mehrotra said the state government decided to launch the
Chief Minister's Public Interaction Programme to elicit feedback from the people on how to improve the policies, programme and schemes and also to tone up the administrative mechanism to pursue these goals.
Kumar had scrapped the popular 'Janata Durbar' programme in June this year after implementation of Public Grievance Redressal Act, which aims at ensuring time-bound resolution of complaints by the people.

In all, the state government approved eight agendas at the cabinet meeting, the Principal Secretary (Cabinet Secretariat) said.
Among the significant decisions, the state government sanctioned Rs 25 crore for payment of salaries to teachers and non-teaching staff of the unaided primary schools, including those being run by minorities, he said.