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BACK TO VILLAGE TAKING GOVERNANCE TO DOORSTEPS OF RURAL AREAS

Young Bites. Dated: 2/19/2020 11:14:05 AM

The Jammu and Kashmir government's 'Back to Village' programme is getting a massive response, especially from people in the militancy-infested areas. The aim of the programme is to bridge the gap between the achievable and achieved goals in development, take governance to doorsteps of the rural and inaccessible areas and generate credible and empirical feedback. The 'Back to Village-2' (B2V2) programme was organised from November 25 to 30. Its fundamental objective is empowerment and development of panchayats. The first phase of the first-of-itskind initiative to reach out to the people at the grassroots level was last held from June 20 to 27 across 4,483 panchayats, which witnessed tremendous response from the public. In June, its first phase had started, 5,000 officers were sent, each in one panchayat of Jammu and Kashmir to stay for two days with the people. In B2V2 also 5,000 officers visited each panchayat, stayed with villagers and discussed problems and issues. The second phase of Back to Village (B2V2) was based mainly on four themes like follow up of Back to Village 1, ensuring functionality of Panchayats in terms of manpower, 100% coverage of beneficiary oriented schemes and doubling of income of rural people by giving impetus on rural economy. In a first of its kind, the Government of Jammu and Kashmir has embarked on an ambitious and extensive programme of reaching out to the people at the grassroots level to create in the rural masses an earnest desire for decent standard of living. The ‘Back to Village’ programme is aimed to involve the people of the state and government officials in a joint effort to deliver the mission of equitable development. The programme is aimed at energizing Panchayats and directing development efforts in rural areas through community participation. As part of this programme, civil servants reach out to each Panchayat of the State, where they stay for a specific period to interact and obtain feedback from the grassroots so as to tailor government efforts in improving delivery of village-specific services. The ‘Back to Village’ programme has been conceived with the objective of ensuring that developmental initiatives are built on the feedback and cooperation of the people, thus being more result oriented with greater probability of success than those which are top down. The programme revolves around the concept that while the official machinery has to guide and assist, the primary responsibility to improve local conditions rests with the people themselves. Therefore, they must be encouraged to own a programme so that benefits are maximized. The life of a person living in a rural area is not cut into segments in the way the Government activities are prone to be. The approach at the village level, therefore, has to be a coordinated, touching all aspects of village life. Such an approach has to be made, not through a multiplicity of departmental officials, but through Panchayats. The essence of the ‘Back to Village’ programme is to emphasize the importance of ensuring, right from the beginning, people’s participation, not merely as an agent in the execution of the development works but as owners of the entire programme. Such initiatives create a sense of gratitude in the minds of villagers for the governing bodies. Trust is build and people living in rural and far flung areas do not feel neglected.