GANGTOK, August 8: The block development authorities of Passingdang in Dzongu, North Sikkim have decided to take strong measures against the truant officials of line departments by approaching the heads of the concerned departments.
The decision was taken during a coordination meeting of the local authorities of Passingdang block held at the conference hall of Passingdang conference hall on August 7.
The coordination meeting had been chaired by SCMU Ltd (Mangan) chairman Choden Lepcha and presided by Passingdang BDO Jigmee Dorjee. Local gram Panchayat presidents, secretaries and ward Panchayats of all GPUs under Passingdang BAC, Dzongu and Panchayat inspector KT Lama attended the meeting, informs a press note.
The press release informs that the meeting took a serious note of various complaints from the general public regarding the absence of line department officers and junior engineers, who incidentally, were absent during the meeting itself.
It was suggested that the concerned heads of departments at Gangtok would have to be approached in order to streamline and direct these officers to make judicious use of their posts and various infrastructure provided by the government at Passingdang BAC. The resolution to approach the higher authorities was passed in the meeting.
The meeting also decided that the Total Sanitation Campaign (TSC) initiated by the government since 1999 will be given a vigorous continuity in all the GPUs of Passingdang with special emphasis on hygiene and anti-defecation policies.
A block level developmental committee cum planning committee was formed with the area MLA as chairman and Choden Lepcha as vice-chariman. The members of the committee include all gram Panchayat presidents, secretaries, line departmental officials, headmasters and principals.
The Passingdang BDO is the member secretary of this committee.
During the meeting, the gram Panchayats were asked to maintain a register at the gram Panchayat level to keep a record of all the demand letters of the public including NREGA works and other schemes in order to facilitate planning and acceptance in future.
It was also decided to approach the managing director, State Bank of Sikkim for providing a bank counter at the BAC itself to facilitate the public for payment of power bills, get bank receipts for various certificates and for operation of NREGA accounts and of job card holders.
The meeting further decided that minimum user charge would be levied by all gram Panchayats for minor repairs of rural infrastructure in their respective GPUs with the proceeds going into the Panchayat development fund.
The meeting concluded with the chairman suggesting that such coordination meetings should be monthly for review as well as carrying out impending works and take in new ideas and suggestions.
