Pay and use community centres at Ambedkar villages soon

The Department of Social Welfare,nodal department for the implementation of the Special Component Plan,has asked district magistrates to decide on the charges and send details by June 30. The maximum and minimum limits will be between Rs 250 and Rs 1,500 per day and will be applicable from July 1.

Principal Secretary (Social Welfare) Prem Narain said: “We are getting spacious community centres constructed for the benefit of all,but the SCs will certainly be given preference as they are being constructed in Ambedkar villages. We are constructing 4,000 centres in two phases and around 1,600 are already complete. Since we want the centres to be well maintained and clean,we are levying user charges. These user charges have to be decided by the districts.”

Villages which have a large population of SCs are declared Ambedkar village and the government takes special care of development there.

Narain said this is the first time that charges are being levied at community centres. “We may extend it to other community centres as well. As of now,it is only for Ambedkar villages.”

The centres will be maintained by gram panchayats and will be let for non-political programmes,like family functions and weddings. Each centre will have a caretaker and the safai workers of the village will be responsible for their cleanliness. Their salaries will be paid from the money collected through user charges. The rates will be revised every three years.