Majid Khan
Efficient grasroot governance is the need of the present times. It ensures that all the visionary schemes meant for upliftment especially of the rural areas are implemented in letter and spirit to ensure swift progress.
Back to Village program launched by J&K government few years back after the abrogation of Article 370 has been the symbol of effective grassroot governance. It is currently in its 4th phase after the completion of three phases successfully. Each phase has ensured delivery of services and schemes to the masses and ensure development at the grasroot levels.
Grievances Addressed
The grievances of the people on ground zero have been keenly heard. Swift answers and solutions have been provided to the best expectations of the masses. Back to Village program has taken away that usual lethargy and laziness associated otherwise with the functioning of administration and bureaucracy in Jammu and Kashmir
It is worth mentioning here that for more that seven decades, many rural areas had virtually become ‘No Go Areas’ for public servants. As a result, people had to suffer to large extent. LG Manoj Sinha- led administration has ensured that through Back to Village programs, the much needed dynamism and active approach is enthused in our administration, and rural areas are becoming hubs of progress.
Public servants are no longer treating these areas as No Go Areas. Back to Village programs have made the public servants serve the people of these areas with utmost dedication.
Will Improve Grassroots Infrastructure, Delivery
Back to Village program is going to act as a great training ground for our lakhs of public servants when they serve the rural areas. It is in future going to vastly improve the basic needs like Health, Education and strengthen its related infrastructure. This would also pave way for better coordination between people and the government, and would also improve the image of Public servants and make them a very solid and positive interface between people and the Government.
The overwhelming response on the ground zero by the common masses is that Back to Village program is a visionary initiative aimed at their welfare. With these positive traits and features the Back to village program is without a doubt going to become a symbol of effective vehicle for governance delivery at grassroots. The need of the hour is to incorporate more creative ideas into the Back to Village program to make it more vibrant and give more fruitful masses living in the rural areas.
Great Potential
The feedback from the masses is that Back to village is an impressive initiative with a lot of potential for minimizing the communication gap between the administration and the common masses.
The Union Territory Government worked hard to boost this initiative by conducting the Jan Abhiyan Awami Muhim. The Administration reached out for doorstep delivery of services in the villages of Jammu and Kashmir.
Domicile certificates, Self-Employment Loan, Sehat Golden Card, Pension Payments, Land Records Online and much more were the focus areas of this program.
It is notable that during the Back to Village campaign, the Department Secretaries had been ordered to devise a monitoring format to tabulate the status at the start of Jan Abhiyan. The departments had been directed to also tabulate the outcome of achievements and submit a report at the end of the week to the Planning, Development and Monitoring Department.
On the other side of the spectrum, the Planning Development and Monitoring Department has been asked to compile the department-wise deliverables and progress, and submit a detailed report to the Chief Secretary by October 27 ahead of the commencement of the campaign.
The stress on ground zero is to strengthen the grassroots governance in Jammu and Kashmir.
Back To Village Program – Objectives of Phase 5
When fifth phase of Back to village program is held, the government should identify the unfulfilled promises made during the last four programs and ensure their fulfillment. This is the way to rebuild and strengthen the public trust in the administration.
Grasroot Governance for Jammu and Kashmir being provided to the masses needs much more programs in addition to the Back to Village program. Currently, one can say without an iota of doubt that among all the stakeholders of Jammu and Kashmir and above all people are quite delighted over the Back to Village program for progress and prosperity in Jammu and Kashmir.
