Phase-2 Day 4: ‘Back to Village’ programme underway across Kashmir
Chief Secretary visits Nadihal Panchayat, reviews prog implementation
Secy, GAD conducts Gram Sabha at Ashmuji, inaugurates dev projects
SRINAGAR, JUNE 23: On the fourth consecutive day of State Government’s ambitious ‘Back to Village’ outreach programme, designated gazetted officers today conducted Gram Sabhas and interaction programmes across the North Kashmir districts of Bandipora, Baramulla, and Kupwara.
In Bandipora, phase-II of the programme started in 50 Panchayats of the district including six in Gurez, 25 in Bandipora and 19 in Sonawari.
Chief Secretary, BVR Subrahmanyam visited Nadihal-C Panchayat in Bandipora block and interacted with the people. He reviewed the working of Panchayats and the implementation of ‘Back to Village’ Programme.
Chief Secretary said that the outreach programme involves the people of the state and government officials in a joint effort to deliver the mission of equitable development across all rural areas.
Later, he held a meeting to review the implementation of the programme in the district. The meeting was attended Deputy Commissioner, Shahbaz Ahmad Mirza, Superintendent of Police Rahul Malik and other senior officers.
While stressing on implementing the programme in letter and spirit, Chief Secretary said the programme is primarily aimed at energizing the panchayats and directing development efforts in rural areas through community participation.
Meanwhile, in Jurniyal-A Panchayat in Tulail block of Gurez, Visiting Officer, Principal Secretary, Animal and Sheep Husbandry, Dr Asgar Hassan Samoon interacted with the people at the Panchayat. The locals put forth several issues including completion of High School building, establishment of library, laboratory, auditorium and other public infrastructure in the village.
He also laid the foundation of 33KV Gurez-Bandipora transmission line at Khandyal. At Purana Tulail he distributed solar lighting systems among the beneficiaries.
In other halqas of the district, the visiting officers inspected various ongoing works and also visited education institutions, healthcare centres, Anganwadi centres and other offices. At these centres, the visiting officers interacted with the people who apprised them about various problems being confronted by them.
Of the 151 Panchayats in the district, 51 Panchayats were visited in the first phase while 50 are being visited in phase-II and the remaining Panchayats will be visited in the last phase.
In Baramulla, Syed Noor-u-Din Andrabi, Administrative Officer Directorate of Information, visiting officer, Panchayat Halqa Tapper Waripora conducted interaction programme in which a large number of people participated.
On the occasion, people raised several issues being faced by them like construction of roads, drinking water supply, electricity supply, repair of damaged transformers, irrigation facilities and other issues related to the development of their concerned areas.
During the field visit, Andrabi inspected an Agriculture farm which produces high-quality hybrid seeds for the farmers. On the occasion, locals apprised the visiting officer about lack of water and electricity supply in the farm.
He also inspected a bore well having capacity of irrigating large chunk of karewa land. The locals demanded that work on the project should be restarted so that it can benefit a huge number of farmers.
In Kupwara, Deputy Commissioner Anshul Garg visited different Panchayat Halqas including Dragmulla A and B, Natnusa A, Vodhpur and other places where he distributed aids among disabled persons, agricultural equipment, job cards, RBA certificates among beneficiaries and also dedicated paddy thrashing machines to the Panchayat Halqas.
At Natnusa, the DC also visited Kashmiri Pandit colony where he interacted with the residents to get the first-hand appraisal of their issues.
Later, he also distributed sports equipment among different teams of several panchayat halqas across the district and asked the concerned officers to file the assessment report for the development of sports ground in Natnusa.
In Karnah tehsil, Gram Sabhas were held in Tangdhar (C), Gumal, Chamkoot A and B under the supervision of SDM Karnah, Dr. Alyas.
Meanwhile, the designated visiting officers today conducted Gram Sabhas, interaction programmes and awareness camps across South Kashmir districts during which people were informed about various welfare schemes and their feedback was sought to improve public services delivery mechanism.
IN SHOPIAN, 33 Panchayat Halqas were covered on the second day of the phase-II during which people raised various issues being confronted by them.
Deputy Commissioner Dr Owais Ahmed has been monitoring the programme with several other senior officers to assess its implementation on the ground.
On the second day of Phase-II, several Panchayat halqas falling under different blocks were covered by the visiting Officers during which scores of Gram Sabhas were held.
IN KULGAM, on day 4 of the programme 67 Panchayat halqas were covered during which feedback of people was sought on many developmental issues to transform the socio-economic profile of rural areas.
Secretary GAD, Dr Farooq Ahmad Lone, conducted various interactions and Gram Sabhas wherein people raised issues regarding health and hygiene, sanitation, roads and water supply, and electricity etc. He also inaugurated several link road projects in the Ashmuji area of the district.
At Ashmuji-A halqa, Director Sericulture, Riyaz Ahmad, inaugurated Mela in which several Departments including Agriculture, Horticulture displayed their products. The officials interacted with the farmers, growers, urging them to avail benfits of the government run schemes.
Other visiting officials also held Gram Sabhas and informed people about the centrally sponsored and state-run schemes for the welfare of the general public.
IN PULWAMA, a lot of enthusiasm was witnessed on the fourth day of the ambitious outreach programme during which designated officers interacted with locals at their respective assigned halqas and listened to their issues and grievances.
At Inder village, a sports stadium was inaugurated by Rural Development Department. Whereas, in Kareemabad village a public park was inaugurated besides a road to Bongam Mohalla was dedicated to the people.
Similarly, in Wagum village job cards under MGREGA were distributed among the beneficiaries.
During the interactions, locals projected issues regarding implementation of PM Fasal Bima Yojana, old-age pension, PM Jan Aarogya Yojana, drinking water, repair of damaged roads, augmentation of PDD infrastructure, and execution of languishing projects.
In Anantnag, various activities were carried out under the weeklong programme in 60 halqas of Achabal, Shangus and Chittergul blocks of the district.
Deputy Commissioner Khalid Jahangir, who is supervising the programme implementation in the district, visited Brakapora, Bulbul Nowgam and Akingam Halqas and interacted with the people.
He also witnessed a volleyball match at Brakapora and assured all help for the promotion of sports culture and nurture of sports talent in the district.
Meanwhile, in all the three blocks covered under the ambitious outreach programme today, various demands with regard to road connectivity, power, water, healthcare, education, banking facilities and proper implementation of centrally sponsored and sate sponsored scheme were raised in the Gram Sabhas convened by the Visiting Officers.
The officers heard the projected issues with keen interest and explained them various developmental programmes and schemes initiated by the government for the overall development of rural areas.
The day four of the programme witnessed a massive public participation at various places in Central Kashmir, where the officials from various departments informed the people about various developmental schemes and initiatives taken by the government. The people also apprised the officials with their issues and grievances faced by them in their respective panchayats.
In Srinagar, various proceedings were held in six Panchayat halqas on Sunday taking the total number of Panchayat halqas covered so far under the programme to 13.
The two-day programme in Nowgam-B of Srinagar block, Panzinara-B of Qamarwari block, Khonmoh-B and Balhama-B of Khonmoh block and Dara-B and Syedpora of Harwan block saw big public response that was filled with enthusiasm and hopes for redressal of genuine developmental grievances.
Today under the programme, a range of programmes including gram sabhas and inspections of public facilities in each of these halqas were carried out. The aim of these initiatives is to get a correct understanding of developmental shortfalls and other requirements.
It also included awareness sessions about government schemes meant for people living and working in rural areas and their enrolment in the designated schemes. Eligible beneficiaries under various schemes were also given certificates in each of these six halqas during the programme.
Public meetings and field visits by designated administrators revealed a range of specific developmental concerns of these halqas with some of the main grievances and demands for their redressal recorded including inadequate drainage and irrigation, lack of appropriate health and educational facilities and dilapidated distribution apparatus of essential services like power and water.
In each of these six halqas designated administrators were accompanied by officers from concerned line departments in order to ensure proper understanding and recording of grievances and concerns which will be submitted as a compiled report to the office of DC for their redressal.
Srinagar has a total of 21 Panchayat halqas spread over four blocks including 9 in Harwan, 6 in Khonmoh, 4 in Srinagar, 2 in Qamarwari.
In Ganderbal, various developmental projects were inaugurated on day four of the “Back to Village programme.”
At Kijpora a new Panchayat Ghar was inaugurated, while as at Benhama a sanitation block was inaugurated. Similarly, a foundation stone was laid for the footpath at Wussan, while as at Wangath, Kangan a washroom and a toilet were inaugurated under MGNREGA.
Expressing their enthusiasm over the developments, the Sarpanchs of the villages said that this is the change they have been waiting long.
Meanwhile, various Gram Sabhas were held in different parts of the district and during these Sabhas women folk were educated about the importance of being self-reliant. They were given the information about the creation of Self-Help Groups (SHG) and various skill development programmes.
The designated officers apart from giving a patient hearing to the voices of people also ensured that they will create awareness, about different government schemes, among the masses.
According to visiting officers Gram Sabhas acted as an open platform for the Panchs, Sarpanchs and local populace to project their demands. District Social Welfare Officer Ganderbal, Bureeda Majeed said that Gram Sabha at Wussan helped people to open up. “Not only did they share their problems with us but were also proactive in gaining knowledge about different government schemes.”
In Budgam, the second phase of the “Back to the Village” programme witnessed a massive participation of people from across the seven blocks of the district.
District administration had made elaborate arrangements for holding Gram Sabhas, where people raised various issues before officers/officials from various departments. Among the issues raised by the locals included issues related to Health, Education, PDD and macadamization of roads.
The Director Rural Development department Kashmir also participated in the second phase of the programme in district Budgam.
The Gram Sabhas conducted across the district also witnessed huge participation of women.
150 sports kits comprising of volleyball, football equipments and 200 sets of dustbins were distributed in the district under the programme.
74 Panchayats which included 16 Panchayats in Sursyar, 11 in Parnewa, 10 each in Sukhnag, Narbal and B.K Pora, 9 in S.K Pora and 8 in Weterhail were covered during the second phase of “Back to Village” programme.
DC Budgam supervised the distribution process. She also toured many areas of the district and held grievance redressal camps.
The DC informed that under the programme several developmental projects were inaugurated, besides interaction with PRIs, frontline functionaries and grievance redressal issues camps were held across the district.
