Postings begin at Debt Relief Commission
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The State Government has begun taking swift measures to provide basic infrastructure and staff for the Agricultural Debt Relief Commission. Commission chairman K.A. Abdul Gafoor had aired the complaints of the Commission in public at a press conference that was convened on Wednesday to release the Commission’s interim report on the agrarian crisis in Wayanad district. Mr. Gafoor told The Hindu here that the Government on Thursday issued the orders to enable the Commission to open its account in the Thiruvananthapuram district treasury office. The Commission was unable to draw Rs.25 lakh sanctioned to it by the Government about two weeks ago for want of orders from the Finance Department specifying the name of the treasury where the Commission was supposed to open its accounts. “Today they (officials of the Finance Department) on their own rang us up to find out where we would prefer to open the account. They issued the required order when we informed that that we would like to operate our account from the district treasury office here,” the Chairman said. The Government has also issued orders posting a finance officer for the Commission. Orders posting 14 support staff have also been issued. The statement by Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan that action would be taken against those responsible for delaying the basic infrastructure for the Commission seems to have prompted the officers to act, Mr. Gafoor said. Replying to questions, the Chairman said the Commission would be able to complete the interim report on the plight of farmers in Idukki district within a week after the posting of a stenographer. “We have completed the work on the agricultural crisis in Idukki, including data collection, analysis and formulating our recommendations. We only need to dictate it to a stenographer and get it typed. This can be done quickly when the stenographer is posted.” He said the Commission would be able to complete the disbursal of relief to farmers in Wayanad district within six months if the necessary infrastructure was provided. |