HC orders change in rural infra growth scheme

Cuttack: The Orissa High Court on Wednesday directed the State government to include local public representatives (sarpanches) on board while taking up new projects under a scheme for augmenting rural infrastructure development.

The ‘Ama Odisha Nabin Odisha’ scheme was launched by the State government in July last year. The team that finalises projects under it does not include the local sarpanch. Several petitions were filed in the High Court in October last year praying for the inclusion of the local sarpanch in the decision-making process for projects.

Justice B P Routray directed the State government to take the local public representatives on board before shortlisting any project under the developmental scheme.

Petitioners Prajit Kumar Bhoj and others had submitted before the court that the State government’s decision to depend only on government officials in shortlisting and finalising the projects for the scheme. Inclusion of sarpanches in the scheme would help in empowering villages, they said.

“For any developmental project in villages, the sarpanches play a pivotal role and they cannot be side-lined or ignored,” the petitioner’s counsel argued.