open view news desk

JAMMU, JUNE 22: The Day-3 of ambitious ‘Back to Village’ programme is gaining momentum with people demonstrating lot of interest in the events being organized. The programme is seen as a game-changer in transforming the rural landscape with sense of deprivation being taken over by hope and promise for better days to transcend. 

Appreciating the first of its kind programme, the rural populace is seeing it a way forward towards economic emancipation and empowerment.

AT JAMMU, various initiatives and events in all the 103 panchayats of the six blocks of the district marked the third day of the programme.

Commissioner Secretary, Public Works, Khurshhed Ahmad, during his visit to Surinsar Panchyat of block Nagrota interacted with the PRIs and the people to have on the spot of feel of their problems. He visited several government institutions including Aaganwari centres and Veterinary clinics and reviewed their functioning.

The Commissioner/Secretary called upon the officers to work with dedication and ensure timely services to the people. He hoped that adequate public participation will be solicited in implementation of various programmes and schemes, aimed at their welfare.

Meanwhile, Director General of Rural Development Department Rehana Batul during her visit to Dok Waziran Panchyat of block Nagrota held a series of meetings with the representatives of Panchayati Raj Institutions and other senior citizens and listened to the issues of the locals.

Meanwhile, the designated officers participated in the Gram Sabhas and interacted with the PRIs, government functionaries and prominent citizens. They also inaugurated a number of assets under MGNREGA and 14th finance commission, new SBM units, PMAY houses.

Similarly, Commissioner Secretary Higher Education, Talat Pervez Rohella, visited Panchayat Kalyanpur of Block Marh and interacted with the Sarpanch and Panchs taking stock of issues concerning their areas. He visited Schools, Anganwadi Centres and Health Centres and inspected the availability of infrastructural facilities there.

He also convened a meeting with the line departments, PRIs and general public and appealed all to actively participated in this ambitious programme for its grand success. He elaborated that the Programme is aimed at energizing Panchayats, collecting feedback on delivery of government schemes, capturing specific economic potential and understanding assessment of the villages.

At Kathua, the second phase of unique initiative, ‘Back to Village’ for delivering governance at the door steps of public, the civil administration today carried out activities enshrined in the programme in a total of 52 panchayats from 5 blocks of the district including Duggain, Basholi, Billawar, Baggan and Hiranagar.

The villagers of all the five blocks where this programme was rolled out today demanded benefit under PM Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY), old age pension, PM Jan Aarogya Yojana (PMJAY), drinking water, repair of damaged roads, augmentation in PDD infra, execution of languishing projects besides benefits from various other welfare schemes.

The designated officers interacted with the villagers and panchayat representatives and assessed the issues and development needs of allotted panchayats.

They further motivated the villagers to participate in conservation and restoration of natural water bodies, rain water harvesting, establishing vermin compost units, plantation drive during monsoons and leveling playfields.

Special Secretary Youth Services & Sports Department, Joint Director Industries & Commerce Jammu, Personnel Officer Assiciated Hospital Jammu, were few designated officers who launched this initiative in the second phase at their respective panchayats.

At UDHAMPUR, Day three of ‘Back to Village’ initiative saw activities being undertaken in 23 panchayats of the district, with visiting officers undertaking public meetings and inspections to assess status of public services available in these areas.

Commissioner/ Secretary PHE, Irrigation and Flood Control AK Sahu during his visit to Pachout Panchayat in Block Chenani visited agricultural fields, Anganwadi centres, DIET Kud, computer aided teaching centers and other amenities in schools and took detailed review of their functioning.

At Anganwadi centers, he inspected the supplementary nutrition being provided to children, adolescent girls, pregnant women and lactating mothers, besides taking note of other services including referral services, immunisation, health check-up, pre-school non-formal education and health and nutrition education. He also inspected the food quality being provided to children as part of the mid day meal programme.

Interacting with the PRI members, Sahu advised them to adopt new techniques like polygreen houses, construct eco friendly pond, adopt rain water harvesting in the villages, sustainable agricultural practices. He also apprised people of various centrally and state sponsored schemes that have been made available for them and urged PRI members to ensure that maximum people enroll and take benefit under these schemes.

During his visit, he also inaugurated transformers, PMAY houses and play field at DIET kud.

Major issues recorded today included issuance of Job cards, augmentation of power supply and medicare facilities, road connectivity especially internal roads, inclusion of left out beneficiaries under Ayushman Bharat, school upgradation among others.

Pertinently, there are 236 panchayats in 17 blocks of Udhampur district. In Phase 1 of Back to Village initiative being held from 20 to 23 June, a total of 119 panchayats were covered. Whereas 96 panchayats were completed yesterday, 23 panchayats were covered today. The remaining 117 panchayats will be covered under second phase from 24th to 27thJune.

At Samba, District Development Commissioner, Sushma Chauhan, convened a meeting with the district officers to review the preparations for 2nd Phase of ‘Back to Village’ programme commencing tomorrow.

The meeting was attended by Additional Deputy Commissioner Vikas Gupta, Programme Officer, ICDS Project Jyoti Rani Slathia, Assistant Commissioner Development, Muddasir Latif Tasir, Sub Divisional Magistrate Vijaypur, Vijay Kumar, Chief Planning Officer, Sukhleen Kaur besides senior officers of other departments and nodal officers of the programme.

The meeting discussed contents and activities to be undertaken during 2nd phase of the programme by different departments.

It was informed that 36 panchayats of three blocks across the district would be covered under the 2nd phase of flagship programme.

The DDC informed that each department will carry out various awareness and extension activities at Panchayat and village level like plantation drives, sports events, inaugurations, awareness programmes.

DDC asked officers to ensure that the Front Line Workers should remain present in each panchayat for successful implementation of the programme.

The DDC asked the Health department to conduct immunization of children. She stressed for 100 percent school coverage of dropouts, linkage of MGNREGA job cards with Aadhaar, distribution of revenue certificates, updation of lists of beneficiaries in old age pension scheme by organising Gram Sabhas.

She asked the Social Welfare, Forests, Agriculture, Horticulture, Handicraft, ICDS, Animal Husbandry departments to show successful stories and create awareness about their respective schemes among the rural masses during the programme.

AT REASI, the third day was marked with inspection of schools and sports facilities besides distribution of PM Jan Arogya Cards and other certificates.

The visiting officers inaugurated several development works besides visiting exhibition of traditional local products at panchayat Judda B in block Arnas.

The visiting officers included Additional CEO Metropolitan Regulatory Authority, Kumar Rajeev Ranjan, Secretary JMC, Sunaina Sharma, ACF (DCF, M&E), Priyanka Sareen and other officers.

Several Gram Sabhas were also held in the panchayats across the district where the PRIs and the people projected different issues besides highlighting specific development needs of their respective areas.