Dr Raja Muzaffar Bhat
Last year in June when I heard about Government sponsored Back to Village programme, I was not at all excited. In past also many such programmes were held especially around year 2006 -2007 when Ghulam Nabi Azad was the J&K’s CM. He had directed, Deputy Commissio-ners and District level officers to hold public durbars at tehsil level every month. The officers through a Government order were directed to make a night halt at the tehsil headquarter, but that programme couldn’t sustain when there was change of guard in state post 2008 assembly elections.
When Showkat Ahmad Bhat a Lecturer posted in Government Girls Higher Secondary School Charar e Sharief reached Gopalpora Chadoora in district Budgam on June 20th early morning , I initially thought the officers visit to Gopalpora would be a futile exercise as he was neither from any administrative background nor he had enough experience about issues related to rural development. But after participating in the informal session meant for prominent citizens in the local Panchayat office, I developed interest in this whole exercise.
The Visiting Officer was in-fact very well versed with rural governance, politics and developmental programmes. I believe he had done a rigorous home-work before coming to Gopalpora. The best thing I observed in the morning 1st day meeting was better participation of local women, Anganwadi workers and Asha workers.
Evening interaction
Two day Back to Village programme had been conceived in a very good fashion. I must congratulate the officers who have devised the programme by creating an activity chart for the Visiting Officer. This was helping the officer to reach out and discuss all the issues pertaining to village development without wasting any time. As per the schedule the visiting officer along with his supporting staff were supposed to hold an informal Evening Interaction with respected citizens and elders of the area. I requested the visiting team to have the said meeting in my house. It was very much interactive and energized meeting which we had hardly experienced. People who had not been so vocal in past also raised their voice and put forward various demands before the Visiting Officer.
Deh Majlis
Day 2nd of Back to Village progarmme began with Deh Majlis (Gram Sabha) on June 21st. The meeting started at sharp 8 am and many people had assembled around the Panchayat building at 7:30 am only. When an official from Rural Development Department (RDD) read out the village plan prepared earlier, the participants raised hue and cry. They alleged that that plan was arbitrary and was not prepared in consultation with people (Gram Sabha) ? The officials of rural development department argued that people don’t come to meetings of Gram Sabha. But many participants including myself didn’t agree with the officials as we were never intimated about the same in past I suggested for creating a watsapp group so that in future people are intimated about Gram Sabha through the group messaging. This suggestion was appreciated by everyone. There was indeed exchange of hot words in this Mini Parliament, but it was a practical illustration of participatory governance and rights of people which they hardly utilize. This actually leads to corruption in schemes like NREGA and PMAY.
Follow-up meetings
If people start believing Back to Village programme will ensure huge funding and execution of mega developmental works in villages, I must tell them humbly that this won’t happen. Visiting Officers are given a long wish list by people which has a financial implication of at least Rs 1 crore in each village. In J&K we have around 4500 village panchayats. Can Government afford to allocate Rs 4500 Crores or more to these villages? The participation in this programme is actually meant to ensure better governance and transparency in execution of flagship programme plus ensuring social audit of villages. This is what we lack. The kind of enthusiasm people showed in Back to Village programme around summer last year needs to be capitalized. Infact the programme was followed up in November end and December but that was more of political nature and the same was held post article 370 abrogation. Political analysts believe that it was only focused to show the outside world that everything was normal in J&K.
Untimely transfers of BDOs
Prime Minister Modi also hailed J&K’s Back to Village programme in his recent radio programmeMann kiBaat, but if PMO will come to know that issues discussed and debated in the village meetings are not allowed to get executed due to official apathy I am sure Government machinery would be grilled. Let me quote an example. Last year in Wathoora village located adjacent to Gopalpora village several decisions were taken vis a vis waste management and sanitation during Back to Village meeting. Wathoora in Chadoora block of Budgam is my ancestral village as well. The sanitation programme discussed in back to village meeting didn’t require huge funding as the same was available under Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM-GRAMIN). The Back toVillage meeting in Wathoora was chaired by an IAS officer and Administrative Secretary to Government Sarmad Hafeez. This high profile officer was deputed by Government to Wathoora and was the designated Visiting Officer. Mr Sarmad Hafeez interacted with people for the whole day , we took him to our local play ground that has a potential to be made an international stadium. He along with DG Youth Services and Sports Dr Saleem ur Rehman were astonished to see this place. Mr Sarmad took many decisions on waste management and sanitation around Wathoora and Doodh Ganga nallah. The then BDO of Chadoora got sensitized and within days he understood the whole concept. We did several follow up meetings on the issuewith BDO and his field staff, but within few months this officer was transferred to Kupwara. He had not even completed his 2 year tenure. This resulted in complete failure of the Back to Village Programme at least in Wathoora ,Gopalpora and adjoining villages. This has happened in many other blocks as well as many BDOs were transferred prematurely.
Conclusion
If Govt is really sincere to implement and execute the works that have already fund availability and the same has been discussed during Back to Village meetings , at least the BDOs concerned in those areas should not be transferred until the said work is done. The premature and untimely transfer of officers especially BDOs is killing the very essence of Back to Village programme.
(The author is Chairman of J&K RTI Movement. He is also Acumen Fellow)
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