CS takes serious note, directs for dissemination of information
DDCs, RDD fail to pay attention towards awareness progs
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Aug 7: Unbelievable it may sound but it is a fact that majority of Panchayati Raj representatives in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir are unaware of Government schemes and projects aimed at transforming developmental profile of the rural areas even considerable time after their election. This is mainly because neither the Rural Development Department nor the District Development Commissioners (DDCs) paid serious attention on dissemination of information and conduct of training/awareness programmes.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that recently Union Ministry of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj sent a communication to the Government of Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir mentioning that it has received information about lack of awareness among the elected representatives of the Panchayati Raj Institutions about the Government schemes and projects.
The communication of the Union Ministry was debated in the recent meeting of the Committee of Secretaries held under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary Dr Arun Kumar Mehta, who viewed the issue very seriously and accordingly issued instructions to Department of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj as well as all the 20 District Development Commissioners.
Now, on the instructions of the Chief Secretary, the Department of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj has issued a circular, which reads: “It has come to the notice of the Government that elected representatives of the Panchayati Raj Institutions are unaware about the various Government schemes, development projects, initiatives and accomplishments of Rural Development Department and Centrally Sponsored Schemes of Government of India, Ministry of Panchayati Raj”.
Accordingly, the department has enjoined upon all the District Development Commissioners of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir that the elected members of Panchayati Raj Institutions should be educated about the major Government schemes, development projects, initiatives and accomplishments for further dissemination during Independence Day events.
The concern has also been conveyed to Directors of the Rural Development Kashmir/Jammu, Assistant Commissioners Development and District Panchayat Officers for necessary action at their respective end.
It is pertinent to mention here that Panchayat elections were held in the last quarter of 2018 while as elections for those Panch and Sarpanch constituencies, which remained vacant particularly in Kashmir valley in the absence of candidates due to terror threats, were conducted in October last year.
Similarly, maiden elections for 310 Block Development Councils were held in October 2020 and for District Development Councils were conducted in November-December 2020. With this all the three tiers of Panchayati Raj System were established in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
“It is really a matter of serious concern that despite lapse of considerable period of time the elected representatives of Panchayati Raj Institutions have remained unaware of the Government schemes and projects aimed at transforming developmental profile of rural areas”, sources said, adding “it is mainly because of non-serious approach of the Department of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj and District Development Commissioners, who otherwise were supposed to not only formally provide information to the elected representatives of Panchayati Raj Institutions but also organize training and awareness programmes for them”.
“The objective behind issuing directions for educating Panchayati Raj Institutions representatives in the shortest possible time is to ensure that during the Independence Day celebration functions they can further disseminate the information to the public as all these schemes are meant for the common masses”, sources further said.
“How can the elected representatives of Panchayati Raj Institutions play crucial role in providing of benefits of the schemes to the people and ensuring timely completion of projects when they remain unaware of the same”, sources asked, adding “had Department of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj and District Development Commissioners conducted awareness programmes the Chief Secretary would have not expressed serious concern to all the concerned”.
They informed that lack of awareness is particularly among the representatives of the Block Development Councils and District Development Councils as Sarpanchs and Panchs have already undergone training programmes in this regard.
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