Patna: Rural Development Minister Sharwan Kumar on Saturday said that all the dilapidated buildings of the Block office will have their new buildings across the state. All the Block offices will have their new buildings within a year, he added.
“We are going to construct new buildings for all the Block offices whose structures are in dilapidated condition across the state. New buildings of all the Block office will be ready within a year,” Kumar said. Praising about the block office buildings, he said that “except Patna’s collectorate building, no other district collectorate buildings can match our block office buildings.”
The minister said while addressing a day-long orientation programme of all the Block Development Officers (BDOs) of the state which was organised by rural development department for better implementation of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (G) and Lohia Swachh Bihar Abhiyan across the state.
BDOs honoured; given vehicle’s keys
On the occasion, Kumar symbolically also honoured some of the 38 BDOs from all 38 districts who had gathered across the state, for doing good job in the implementation of PMAY(G) in the year 2024-25 and 2025-26. Besides, he also handed over the keys of vehicles to a few BDOs.
A total of 422 BDOs were given keys of vehicles today while 112 BDOs were given the keys on March 1, 2025 at the hands of the minister.
Stating that Chief Minister Nitish Kumar-led government is providing all sorts of facilities such as buildings, vehicles and other facilities, the minister said that government was giving all the facilities and BDOs should work hard to make the number one department among all other departments of the state.
He also praised his department’s secretary Lokesh Kumar Singh for ensuring that the BDOs and officials get better facilities so that they can discharge their duty efficiently.
Kumar asked BDOs to ensure proper lighting arrangements of the block offices, maintain cleanliness and have better coordination among other officials such as Circle Officers and other officials who sit in the Block office building.
Asking the BDOs to remain alert in preparing PMAY(G) beneficiaries’ list, the minister said that they should ensure that the benefit of PMAY(G) should go to the legitimate beneficiaries alone.
Official be remain alert
“When we go to villages. I am not complaining to you, rather I am just cautioning you to remain a little more watchful while doing your work. I have come to know that those having two-three storeyed buildings have been able to get the benefit of house (PMAY-G),” Kumar said while asserting that this should not have happened without the support and cooperation of “our staff and officials.”
They should be more watchful of computer operators who upload the data in the system, the minister said adding that “such things will not happen if you remain alert.”
The department has to just select the beneficiaries and transfer the money straight into their bank accounts besides monitoring the same, he added.
Stating that over 30 lakh Indira Awas Yojana was half completed when he first became the rural development minister, Kumar said that the figure has been reduced to 90,000-92,000 and “if we push further and work hard and take Banks’ cooperation, then the figure could come down to 30,000-35,000 from 90,000-92,000.”
He expressed hope that the department will certainly try to live upto to the expectations of the PM, Union Rural Development Minister and Chief Minister.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan have already accepted the state government’s 2018-19 list of PMAY(G) beneficiaries and gave necessary directions to complete all the schemes.
BDO plays a central role in development work
Speaking on the occasion, department’s secretary Lokesh Kumar Singh said that BDO has a central role to play in carrying out development work in close coordination with various other departments.
Stating that BDOs today get manpower, technology and other facilities which were not available in earlier times, Singh, while reminding his days as BDO for three-four months as IAS probationer, said that it used to be pretty difficult task to do then but now things have changed, courtesy information system.
Certainly, with more facilities available to BDOs, the workload has also increased with high expectations of people, he said asserting that they will have to adapt to the situation.
Later, Panchayati Raj Department Secretary Divesh Sehara gave a detailed presentation on “Dr Ambedkar Samagra Sewa Abhiyan”
Sehara asks BDOs to work for the betterment of the SC/ST communities who are deprived of basic amenities and also asked them to closely monitor the data.
CM Nitish Kumar had on April 14 last launched a statewide campaign to deliver 22 essential government services directly to over 60,000 SC/ST hamlets.
Department’s joint secretary also gave a presentation on PMAY(G) during the programme.
CEO Jeevika Himanshu Sharma, MGNREGA Commissioner Cum Additional CEO Jeevika Abhilasha Kumari Sharma.
