BY YUSRA ANJUM
The “Back to Village” program entered its 4th edition last year on 27th October, 2022 which came to an end on 3rd November, 2022. This edition of B2V4 mainly focused on the youth, skill development, self employment, good governance and strengthening the Panchayat Raj at grassroots level.
The main objective was to bridge the gap between the administration and the citizens. B2V was first launched in the month of June, 2019. After the inception of B2V, the program has achieved so much significance in the development of J&K.
On 9th of November this year Government deployed the Visiting Officers of the recently concluded Phase IV of ‘Back to Village’ Program, as the Prabhari Officers for the concerned Panchayat(s) for the next one year or till decided otherwise.
The Prabhari officers will guide and mentor the Panchayats and will remove all the hiccups that came in the developmental projects, and each Panchayat shall make progress in accordance with what is written in letter and word as a plan or program for the villages.
The Prabhari Officers are set to make quarterly physical follow ups with concerned Panchayat and have virtual meetings for the follow up at the beginning of every month.
A real connection between the administration and the citizens shall be made through virtual meetings as well as through physical visits of Prabhari Officers on every Monday at the beginning of each month. This will ensure that the follow-up of all the deliverables be made and resolution is provided to the genuine grievances of the masses.
The various programs started by the Government in order to develop the rural areas of the country. In addition to this, the Prabhari Officers will be able to take a real-time account of the changes and progress of the deliverables which are the schemes, policies and developmental projects meant to lift the less-developed areas and bring them at par with the more developed areas.
The ground level implementation of the schemes and the programs or deliverables will be ensured from the feedback that would be given during their physical and virtual follow–ups with each Panchayat.
As of now, the Prabhari Officer(s) shall lay special focus on 101 deliverables of various departments based on the priority areas and deliverables like Swachh Gram Program saturation, dissemination of information regarding Jan Bhagidari, issuance of Land Passbooks, 100% saturation of Golden Cards has to be attained to the satisfactory levels.
The Government has ordered that the Department of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj shall be the Nodal Department for coordinating the exercise, and shall devise an objective format/mechanism for monitoring the progress of the deliverables.
The Prabharis will play a vital role in the development and in uplifting the rural area of J&K towards the new era and will instill a sense of recognition for the work of the Government for the people of J&K and will also impart democracy as an inseparable component for the growth and progress.
The Government has further asked the General Administration Department to issue orders for Panchayat Prabhari Scheme and ensure that awards for B2V4 are finalized and given on Republic Day 2023 while as Information Department is directed to prepare a coffee table e-book and film on the basis of details to be shared by the Rural Development Department.
Yusra Anjum, student M.A Economics at IUST Awantipora.
DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed in this article are the personal opinions of the author.
The facts, analysis, assumptions and perspective appearing in the article do not reflect the views of GK.
