Afaq Bhat
Srinagar, Sep 11: After successful completion of the first two phases of the Back to Village programmes, Jammu and Kashmir government has announced that the third phase of the B2V, will be held next month.
An analyst while talking to Precious Kashmir said, “The first two phases sprung many surprises as the people realized that administration can come to their doorsteps and it’s not always necessary to run after the officers to even get small things done.”
He said, “The first phase of the B2V programme proved it beyond doubt that to reach out to the people depends upon the government’s will.”
While announcing that the third phase of the B2V programme will be launched next month, government spokesman Rohit Kansal had said, “The Phase-I of the Back to Village Programme was an introductory and interactive programme to understand the people’s grievances and demands, while Phase-II focused on the devolution of powers to panchayats and tried to understand how these panchayats are functioning and what are the grievances and demands. Phase-III has been designed for grievance redressal.”
It may be recalled that during the first two phases of the B2V, top bureaucrats were assigned different districts and KAS officers were asked to assess the ground situation and ensure that the genuine grievances of the people are addressed without any delay.
An observer said, “The main aim of the Back to Village programme is to involve the people 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. The concept of this programme revolves around decentralization of the power i.e. the power should lie in the hands of panchayats. It’s basically political and economic decentralization of power.”
He said, “People should utilize this opportunity to get the work in their areas done. There are many areas in Kashmir which lack proper roads, drainage system and sanitation. These issues can be brought into the notice of the authorities on the spot and can be resolved forthwith.”
He said, “Through this programme official machinery has to guide and assist. The primary responsibility to improve local conditions rests with the people themselves. People have to come forward to get the maximum benefits.”
The observer said, “The panchayat representatives can play a pivotal role in highlighting the issues of people. The third phase of this programme will focus on grievance redressal. People should utilize this opportunity to the maximum.”
Back to Village phase-III, opportunity for people to get grievances redressed
