Connection with the people at grass roots is a good beginning for the delivery of public services and the newly appointed Deputy Commissioner’s have got an ample opportunity to use the connection of the elected representatives of panchayats and municipal bodies for improving the standards of governance by execution of developmental works strictly in given timelines at the grass roots. The Government has not only given a second chance to some of the Deputy Commissioners to utilize their previous experiences for improving the standards of development works for good governance but has also brought at the helm a new Director at the Rural Development Directorate in Kashmir to ensure that deadlines are not missed in the execution of developmental projects either due to the lackadaisical approach of the elected members of panchayat and municipal bodies or lack of proper supervision by the officers of the concerned implementing agencies. While newly appointed Deputy Commissioner Kupwara is facing the challenge of implementing developmental works with a new team of elected representatives of panchayat and municipal bodies, the Deputy Commissioner Baramulla is facing the challenge of dealing with the elected representatives of the panchayat and municipal bodies under a new system of public representation. The challenges for both the elected representatives and the Deputy Commissioners have risen unprecedentedly in the aftermath of a climate change which is taking a heavy toll of horticulture and agriculture sectors besides availability of portable water and power supply not only in Kashmir but in Jammu division as well. Challenges would change into opportunities only if the Deputy Commissioners use public connection of the elected representatives of panchayat and municipal bodies for the execution of developmental works in the given timelines.
Though concerns of the central ministers during review meetings remain on overall progress of the developmental works in Jammu & Kashmir but the focus of their attention remains on the implementation of centrally sponsored schemes. Deputy Commissioners would surely change challenges into opportunities if they use public connection of the elected representative of both panchayat and municipal bodies for the execution of developmental works both under the state sector and as well as centrally sponsored schemes in both Kashmir valley and as well as Jammu division.
The execution of development works in state sectors are not as difficult as is the operation of centrally sponsored schemes. It merits a mention here that the Chief Secretary Dr A K Mehta during a high level review meeting on the execution of centrally sponsored scheme exhorted all administrative secretaries to ensure strict adherence to scheduled timelines in the execution of development works through elected representatives of both Panchayat and municipal bodies . What matters the most is the fact that union ministers visit during summer months almost all the districts of both Kashmir Valley and Jammu division to review the progress of developmental works taken up under centrally sponsored schemes. Though concerns of the central ministers during review meetings remain on overall progress of the developmental works in Jammu & Kashmir but the focus of their attention remains on the implementation of centrally sponsored schemes. Deputy Commissioners would surely change challenges into opportunities if they use public connection of the elected representative of both panchayat and municipal bodies for the execution of developmental works both under the state sector and as well as centrally sponsored schemes in both Kashmir valley and as well as Jammu division.
