JAMMU : Provincial President National Conference Devender Singh Rana on Tuesday sought immediate review of Below Poverty Line or BPL lists, to ensure enlisting of genuine segments of the population in this category across Jammu and Kashmir.
“Current lists are full of discrepensies as a result of which poor and genuine people are deprived of the benefits tailored for this category”, Rana said while addressing several workers meetings at in Panchayat Ranjan, Showa and Dhalu in the Nagrota Assembly Constituency.
He emphasised the need for evolving a mechanism whereunder Tehsildars are mandated to receive applications for empanelment of genuine people in a time bound with maximum of 15 days in deciding the cases. “Unless right people are enlisted the very purpose of the programme shall get defeated”, he said while referring to general complaints about creamy layer of people figuring in the category and poor of the poorest finding themselves left out.
Rana, who represents Nagrota in the Legislative Assembly, said the issue will be taken up at appropriate forum keeping in view the its importance vis a vis empowerment of poor segments of society. As several centrally sponsored schemes cover BPL category, it is incumbent upon the government and the concerned department to ensure genuineness of the lists, he said and demanded public display of BPL lists at Panchayat and Block levels so that the aggrieved people can register their grievances and objections to the designated authorities.
The Provincial President also hoped that those of the creamy layer of society categoriesed as BPL families will voluntarily surrender their claims to pave way for genuine people.
During day-long tour, Rana took stock of various projects taken up for speedy development of the constituency and sought feedback from people about the pace and quality of work. “Synergised efforts are being made with all the executing agencies to have the works completed within stipulated time-frame”, Rana said, adding that his mission is to see Nagrota develop as a model constituency in immediate periphery of the winter capital.
He spelled out initiatives taken by him as a public representative to have various schemes included in the annual plan and ensure their speedy execution. “This year also we are prioritizing the schemes, after due consultations with the people to have these incorporated in the annual action plan”, he added.
The Provincial President said no initiative will succeed in its totality unless people involve themselves in terms of making suggestions and giving feedback on the quality of works. “To have the involvement of people at grass root level is essence of democracy”, he said adding that National Conference has all along attached immense significance to the decisions floating from ground zero. He said development should be based on local requirements and he will endeavour to seek public opinion before making suggestions in the District Development Board for the annual action plan.