Lohardaga administration expedites projects for Ramesh visit

LOHARDAGA: Rural development schemes have gained momentum in Lohardaga ahead Union rural development minister Jairam Ramesh's scheduled visit on Sunday. Ramesh will be in the city to review implementation of various central development schemes.
Deputy commissioner Ratan Kumar said that he on Thursday reviewed the district administration's arrangements for his visit."The administration will be ready to welcome the Union minister and take him wherever he wishes to go to see progress of schemes on various projects like rural development, IAP and several others," he said.
Though officials chose to stay off the record on preparations, the administrative exercise has evidently accelerated development work in rural areas. Soon after the message circulated, officials got busy with reviewing pending works and orders were issued to speed up projects.
A pending MGNREGA work of plantation in Kasturba Gandhi girls residential school Senha was taken up on Thursday. Forest department, the executing agency of the work, however did not agree that this work was being implemented due to Ramesh's scheduled visit.
Divisional forest officer A K Singh started the plantation scheme worth Rs 12.80 lakh by planting saplings. Altogether 700 saplings are being planted on the school campus, teachers' quarter campus and either sides of approaching roads.
The DFO on this occasion gave important lessons to girls of the school on needs of trees and their role in maintaining ecological balance. All participating students, teachers and forest department officials took a vow to save trees. Warden of the school N M Tirkey welcomed the guests while former Warden Soni Kumari delivered vote of thanks.