Relief Commissioner visits scarcity-hit talukas of Kutch, 100 more villages likely to be declared scarcity-hit

Bhuj, 1 June, 2014

After declaring 21 villages of Abdasa and 85 villages of Lakhpat taluka in Kutch district as partially scarcity hit on May 2, the Gujarat government sent Relief Commissioner DN Pandey and district collector to interior areas of both taluka last week. Following are the demands the villagers made before visiting top officials

-Panandhro sarpanch Vikramsinh and other sarpanchs of nearby villages demanded cattle camps.

-Lakhpat taluka people demanded further excavation of Godhatad dam for more storage of water. GMDC Kutch’s chief Garg promised GMDC’s contribution to this cause.

-The team of top officials visited Sandhro Vandh cattle camp and gave verbal instructions to maintain board, number of cattle, roof, water arrangement, stock of green and common fodder, transparency in visitors book keeping etc.

-Locals alleged that Narayan Sarovar gets water once in nine days and Sarpanch himself is involved in profession of tractors carrying water. Locals alleged that some organizations that are given job of ensuring water had in the past faced action for irregularities.

-MNREGA relief works are started in seven villages – Akrai, Mundhvay, Morgarvandh, Mindhiari, Bhekhad, Godhatad and Panandhro giving employment to 308 people. From Monday onwards four more villages Fulravandh, Ramania, Bitiyari, Kotda(Madh) will be added to the list. More 63 works are approved. Payment has been deposited to beneficiary accounts electronically.

-Relief Commissioner wanted to interact with MNREGA beneficiaries, but due to leave on Saturday(MNREGA work goes on Monday-Friday), 10 beneficiaries of Godhatad and 6 from Panandhro were called. However the officials didn’t visit the laborers.

-The state government had declared 105 villages of two talukas as partially scarcity hit.Following this announcement, minister of state and BJP MLA of Mandvi Tarachand Chheda held a review meeting at Mata no madh recently.

Sources in Gandhinagar tell DeshGujarat

-The Government of Gujarat is likely to add 100 more villages ardh-achhatgrast(partially scarcity affected) this week from same two talukas.

-The number of cattle camps is increasing already. The total number is 25 at present. 2 Panjrapol and Gaushala are also functional.

-With a tie-up with Irrigation department and GMDC, excavation of Gadhatada dam will be started in next fortnight or so.

-The government is open for more MNREGA works, but villagers are not coming forward at all places(it’s demand oriented scheme, once some village demands it, execution takes just four-five days in normal cases).

-Congress’s demand to declare Full Achhat has little substance, as there’s no difference at execution level between Achhat and Ardh-achhat(it depends on inch of rain and aanavari survey).