SRINAGAR: Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Secretary Mohammad Aijaz Asad on Tuesday directed officials to organise special Gram Sabhas in every Panchayat across Jammu and Kashmir on October 2 as part of the nationwide Reform Utsav being observed under the People’s Plan Campaign (PPC).
The directions were issued during a review meeting on preparations for the event attended by senior officials of the Rural Development Department (RDD), Panchayati Raj institutions and allied programmes.
According to officials, the Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Department has been designated as the nodal department for the programme and will coordinate with other line departments for conducting the special Gram Sabhas.
Asad said the initiative should focus on taking governance reforms to the grassroots level and enabling people to understand key reforms, their benefits and local development priorities.
He directed Assistant Commissioners Development (ACDs) and Assistant Commissioners Panchayats (ACPs) to coordinate with deputy commissioners and convene inter-departmental meetings to finalise arrangements for the event.
The secretary also instructed officials to ensure that scheme-specific information, education and communication (IEC) material reaches every Panchayat before the programme and that nodal officers are fully briefed about their responsibilities.
During the meeting, officials reviewed IEC material, banners, radio jingles and audiovisual content related to various rural development programmes, including the Vibrant Villages initiative, Lakhpati Didi scheme, Integrated Watershed Management Programme (IWMP), Panchayati Raj and Swachh Bharat Mission-Gramin (SBM-G).
Asad directed that awareness campaigns should focus on explaining reforms and their practical impact on rural households rather than merely highlighting scheme guidelines.
He asked officials to publicise reforms related to employment generation, wage payments, attendance systems and planning processes, besides displaying details of sanctioned works. For the Lakhpati Didi initiative, he called for showcasing success stories of rural women and information on available support mechanisms.
The secretary also directed ACPs to create dedicated “Reform Utsav” groups comprising Block Development Officers and Panchayat Secretaries to facilitate dissemination of instructions and awareness material.
He stressed the need for broad public participation, proper documentation of proceedings and timely reporting, and said the Gram Sabhas should be participatory and focused on communicating governance reforms directly to citizens.
