5,000 officers to visit panchayats in J&K

As the second phase of the flagship 'Back to the Village' programme is all set to begin in Jammu and Kashmir next week, Lt Governor G C Murmu on Wednesday said 5,000 officers will reach out to the people in each panchayat because real progress can be brought by working together.

The 'Back to Village-2' (B2V2) programme will be organised from November 25 to 30 with a senior government official asserting that its fundamental objective is empowerment and development of psanchayats.

The first phase of the first-of-its-kind 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, we started a unique initiative. We sent 5,000 officers, each in one panchayat of Jammu and Kashmir to stay for two days with the people. We were overwhelmed by the love and affection our officers received from all of you," Murmu said.

"Encouraged by your response, we have now decided to launch another similar effort, B2V2. This time too, 5,000 officers will visit each panchayat, stay with all of you and discuss with you your problems and issues and also tell you what we are doing to bring development and progress," he said in an advertisement which appeared in various local dailies here on Wednesday.

Requesting the people to participate in this effort with same zeal and affection displayed in June, he said, "I also urge all my officers to display the same sincerity and empathy that they did when they visited you (the people) the last time."

"I am confident that working together we can bring real progress to our villages," the Lt governor said.

Meanwhile, Principal Secretary Planning and Development Rohit Kansal reviewed the arrangements for B2V2 programme at a meeting here, stressing upon the deputy commissioners that fundamental objective of B2V programme is empowerment and development of panchayats.

"The B2V2 will be based mainly on four themes like follow up of Back to Village 1, ensuring functionality of panchayats in terms of manpower, 100 per cent coverage of beneficiary oriented schemes and doubling of income of rural people by giving impetus on rural economy," Kansal said.

He impressed upon all the deputy commissioners that they should establish control rooms for B2V2 programme in their respective districts and directed them that they should hold a meeting with visiting officers of panchayats before and after B2V2 programme.

He also instructed them that the visiting officers should be provided with information regarding languishing projects, major developmental plans and schemes carried in the district and directed them that a detailed meeting with all the line officers in the district should be held before the start of B2V2.

Kansal impressed upon the officers in the meeting that B2V2 is going to be a regular affair and suggested that the B2V2 will help in formulation of district plans according to panchayats.

In a related development, the administration has released the list of senior officers who have been assigned various districts across the Union Territory. The list included 23 IAS, five IFS and 293 KAS officers.

"The exact location of the panchayat where the officer will conduct the programme shall be communicated by the Deputy Commissioner concerned," an order issued by the General Administration Department read.