Srinagar: The 8 day long massive Government-Public interface program “Back to Village” which involved sending Gazetted Officers to Gram Panchayats to take first hand appraisal of developmental issues and functioning of the Panchayati Raj Institutions, successfully concluded Thursday in the Ladakh division.
Leh : In the last leg of “Back to Village” program, remaining 9 panchayat halqas were covered in which designated officers interacted with people and listened to their issues.
During the entire 8 days program, Deputy Commissioner, Leh Avny Lavasa played a crucial role in successful conduct of program by personally monitoring the events organised in different Panchayat halqas by maintaining a constant communication with the district officers deployed to visit respective Panchayats. As per the guidelines every officer conducted public interaction, gave patient hearing to the problems and grievances of the village people, visited various government institutes including health centre, anganwadi centre, CA&PD stores, government schools and took stock of the ongoing government works/ projects.
The participation of state level officers further added to the effectiveness of the program thereby building accountability and strengthening the connection with people at grassroot level. The officers visiting Leh district during the week were Financial Commissioner, Finance Department Dr. Arun Kumar Mehta, Commissioner Secretary Tourism Rigzin Samphel, Under Secretary Rural Development Department, Mohammed Yaqoob Malik, Deputy Secretary Horticulture, Suhail Ahmad, Joint Director Finance/Home, Tahir Hussain and Joint Director, Geological and Mining Ashwani Khajuria.
The program offered a first of its kind platform to have a direct connect between officers and rural population at grassroot level with the objective to strengthen governance at rural level. The program was a great success with huge number of peoples’ participation in every Panchayat halqas paving its way towards a fruitful result.
Kargil: The last leg of the program was marked by the visiting officers conducting extensive visits and interactions in the remotest Gram Panchayts (GP) including Padum, Testa, Mushkow, Abran and relatively accessible gram panchayats like Chanigund, Wakha among others. With this, all the 98 Gram Panchayats got covered under the initiative.
Various line departments enthusiastically participated in the initiative by showcasing their schemes, distributing incentives and delivering services at doorstep of the beneficiaries.
MGNREGA Job Card distribution by Rural Development Department, seedlings and plants by Forest Department, vegetable and agricultural seeds, kail poly bag saplings, soil health cards and KCC cards by Agriculture Department, medicines by Veterinary Department and other related activities involving different departments were part of the program.
Revenue Department successfully took up the exercise of distributing ST, PRC and other certificates at doorsteps of applicants and conducted the visit of the entire Gram Panchayats of Batalik sector including GP Silmo, Lhalung, Garkone, Chulichan and adjoining villages.
Recent activities included various inaugurations of foot bridges in Badgam, Khawos and Purtikchay GPs, playfield at Panikhar, Yokma Kharbu, Khawos and Yuljuk GPs, irrigation khuls in Chamba, protection bund at Stakpa, ICDS Centre at Chokiyal .
Similarly, a fish farm in Bartoo GP, a farm house in Pashkum GP and a VHND in Gindiyal were inaugurated by the visiting officers.
Social Audit Committees were constituted in all Gram Panchayats where Gram Sabhas were conducted which included Kanoor, Thangdumbur, Goshan, Minjee, Apati, and Gindiyal among others.
Designated officers also interacted with the people and sought feedback from them about ongoing development works.
Locals projected various problems confronting them and put forth various demands and suggestions for ensuring the integrated development of their areas and sought redressal of their grievances at an earliest.
People were also educated about the objective of program and various centre and state sponsored schemes. Officers from concerned line departments also accompanied the visiting officers for compiling the reports of grievances.
Meanwhile, the public have appreciated this unique initiative of Governor’s administration and expressed optimism that such events will continue to be conducted for socio-economic empowerment of rural folk of the state at the grassroots level.
