Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Aug 22 : Stressing on the need for adequate capacity building of the Panchayati Raj representatives, the Minister for Rural Development, Panchayati Raj, Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, Ali Mohammad Sagar has said that the same was necessary for making them understand their duties as well as for the proper implementation of the democratic decentralization of powers and various flagship schemes.
The Minister was speaking at the inaugural function of two-day State Level Consultation Workshop on Capacity Building and Training of Panchayat Raj functionaries of Jammu and Kashmir held at IMPA, jointly organized by J&KIMPA and Department of Rural Development in collaboration with Society for Participatory Research in Asia (PRIA), New Delhi.
The Chief Secretary, Madhav Lal, Director General, IMPA, Dr. Pawan Kotwal, Commissioner Secretary Rural Development, F. A. Peer, S. S. Sahni, Directors Rural Development, Kashmir and Jammu, Mir Altaf Ahmad, Shafeeq Ahmad Raina, Director PRIA, Manoj Roy and other senior officers of Rural Development Department besides Panchayati Raj representatives and representatives of Civil Society Organizations were present.
Stressing on the proper coordination of the Panchayati Raj representatives with concerned departments, the Minister said that the same was imperative for the proper implementation of the Panchayati Raj institutions in the State. He said that the Government has already empowered the panchs and sarpanchs with the powers of 14 vital departments and in this regard the necessary orders have already been passed and instructions conveyed to the ground level for the same.
“It is imperative and necessary that proper capacity building and awareness is created among these representatives so that they are well versed with the intricacies as well as nuances of the Panchayati Raj system, and can effectively contribute their bit in the success of the same as well as ensure that the various flagship schemes are implemented properly and plans for their respective areas are also conceived with their active participation”, the Minister said maintaining that the recommendations of the Committee headed by the Chief Secretary regarding the democratic devolution of powers have been implemented in toto.
In his key-note address, Chief Secretary, Madhav Lal said that after holding successful Panchayat election, vigorous, sincere and sustained efforts have been made to devolve adequate powers to Panchayats in order to achieve the objectives of participatory planning process.
Terming capacity building as a continuous process he maintained that such workshops prove as catalyst to move forward. He said that objective of establishing Panchayat Raj in the state and empowering such institutions is to make the development process truly participatory thereby ensuring bottom up approach in formulation of ‘plans of development’.
Director General IMPA, Dr. Pawan Kotwal while giving a detailed account of capacity building of PRIs, said that as many as 400 departmental resource persons have been imparted the necessary training so that they can conduct and impart further training to the Panchayati Raj representatives in their respective areas.
Prof. S. N. Alam, the Coordinator of the two day workshop gave a brief overview of the training module for the participants.
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