THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK
Daltonganj, February 16: Latehar district has a new deputy commissioner in Garima Singh, a 2016 batch IAS officer. An alumnus of the most prestigious St Stephen’s college in Delhi, the new DC will find Latehar ‘wanting in degree colleges’.
Degree College in Latehar
Its major coal-producing areas, like Balumath, Baariyatu, Herhunj, etc, have yet to degree college. All eyes are on her if she will ask the Nilamber Pitamber University to have a degree in Betla, too, with courses in wildlife management, climate change, man-animal conflict, etc.
The DC has set the ball moving in Latehar. She met the local press. Weeks before the coming Lok Sabha elections, her interaction with the media is vital to a peaceful poll.
Electoral roll
She is most expected to roll out data like the inclusion of names in the electoral rolls as well as the deletion of names of electors in the electoral rolls in Latehar.
If Palamu district has 64,000 plus inclusions, it has 41,000 plus deletions, too. It is yet to be known about Latehar, at least for the media covering it from a distance.
There has yet to be an official version regarding a replacement for the blurred photos of the electors in the electoral rolls, nor how many voters are in the age group of 80 to 89 and above in Latehar.
Latehar district falls in the Chatra Lok Sabha constituency.
Also Read- Basant Soren among three new faces in Champai cabinet
Abua Awas
The new DC has prioritised Abua Awas. She has asked for a faster mechanism for it.
It’s time to sanction Abua Awas faster than ever, as the Lok Sabha election is approaching.
Latehar district has a target of 5,389 Abua Awas units in the outgoing financial year 2023 -24, said DDC Surjit Kumar Singh.
In one of her meetings with the officials, Garima Singh asked for more impetus to be given to Abua Awas Yojna.
Shelter scheme
The shelter scheme has come under a cloud of corruption pan Jharkhand. Eligibles are out, ineligibles in here in this Abua Awas Yojna.
Fingers are raised over the mode of selection. The process is alleged to have been fudged. A proper screening is required.
Flora and fauna in Latehar
Tourism is another considerable potential in the Latehar district, but except for Netarhat, this district has many flora and fauna that remain hidden from the tourists.
Tropic of cancer
A Tropic of cancer passes through it under the Mahuadanr range, but it is unheard of here.
Social security is the next big thing, and here, the DC has asked for pensions for women and men attaining 50 years of age.
Latehar district has a 45 per cent plus tribal population; with scheduled castes, it is a little over 66 per cent.
Following its rugged terrain, the area of its fallow land is more extensive, and it is desired that the new DC may reclaim the fallow land for agriculture.
Lok Sabha and Assembly elections
With two elections in one calendar year, 2024, the Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha and the imposition of the model code of conduct, there will be fewer days to work. This is true of all the 24 districts of Jharkhand, including Latehar.
Extremism in Latehar
Latehar district has seen the worst kind of extremism. Extremists are down but not out. A fringe group of them is still active.
Election time may see them in a new mode.
