Rajasthan Panchayati Raj offices to play national song: Minister

Jaipur: National Song will be sung every morning and National Anthem at the close of office hours in all Panchayati Raj offices across Rajasthan, Minister Madan Dilawar said.

The Panchayati Raj minister said that only India-made products would be used in all ministry offices. If foreign-made items are found in use, the cost would be recovered from the concerned official, with exemption granted only in unavoidable circumstances, he added.

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Replying to the debate on demand for grants to the Panchayati Raj Department inthe Assembly on Thursday night, Dilawar said the state government is moving ahead with its commitment to strengthen villages and improve governance at the grassroots level.

Following the discussion, the House passed the department's grant demands by voice vote.

Dilawar said that the officials of the department will visit villages at least four times a month to hold "Ratri Chaupal" and stay overnight.

He said that the officials who fail to undertake village visits would have their official vehicles withdrawn and deposited in the vehicle pool. He also said officials would now be allowed to inspect areas beyond their assigned jurisdictions to improve monitoring.

The minister said cattle shelters would be developed over 20 hectares of land, along with ponds and plantation drives, at an estimated cost of Rs 400 crore.

'Pattas' (land titles) would be issued in the names of temples in rural residential areas based on drone surveys.

"This would help resolve issues related to water and electricity connections and land ownership disputes," he said.

Dilawar said all villages in the state would be illuminated with streetlights and a special drive would be launched to remove encroachments, including from ponds.

The minister informed the house that rural development schemes and construction works were being uploaded on a portal to enhance transparency.

The minister said, similar to municipal rules, licences would now be mandatory for meat sales in gram panchayats. He said sales would be permitted only in commercial shops with valid health certificates, and strict action would be taken against violators.

Raising concerns over clerk recruitment-2013, Dilawar said serious irregularities had come to light, including fake experience certificates and manipulated mark sheets, and announced that the matter would be referred to the SOG for investigation.