CM interacts with panchayat president and secretaries through telephone conference

Guwahati,07 May(HS): Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal today addressed panchayat presidents and secretaries of the state through telephone conference at Brahmaputra State Guest House and urged them to ensure the resumption of works under schemes like MGNREGA etc while maintaining social distancing and other COVID-19 protocols.

Thanking the panchayat presidents and secretaries for successful observation of first two phases of lockdown, the Chief Minister urged them to ensure proper implementation of all government schemes and said that no corrupt practices take place while implementing those schemes. Disbursal of MGNREGA wages to job cardholders should be ensured so that the distressed people in rural areas can get the benefit of the scheme, he said.

Directing the panchayat presidents and secretaries to ensure social distancing, wearing of a mask and keeping provision for soap and water and for hand washing by the workers engaged under MGNREGA and other schemes, the Chief Minister directed them to purchase 2,000 masks by each panchayat from SHGs which can be distributed among the workers.

Saying that corrupt practices in the implementation of government schemes would bring a bad name to the entire government machinery, Sonowal called on the panchayat presidents and secretaries to ensure genuine beneficiaries get their dues and no one is deprived due to irregularities.

He also directed the panchayat presidents and secretaries to make sure that no genuine beneficiary is deprived while preparing the beneficiary list for different government schemes.

The Chief Minister also highlighted the need to overcome economic challenges posed by COVID-19 by resuming activities and at the same time he stressed on the need to maintain social distancing and other COVID-19 protocols during the third phase of lockdown as the fight against coronavirus is far from over. Proper implementation of schemes like MGNREGA, free rice distribution to beneficiaries etc. must be ensured in this time of crisis, he said.

It is to be mentioned that more than 3000 participants took part in today’s interaction programme. Media Adviser to Chief Minister Hrishikesh Goswami, Secretary of P&RD department Hemen Das were also present during the programme.