Director General, Jammu and Kashmir Institute of Management, Public Administration and Rural Development (IMPARD), Saurabh Bhagat, today presided over joint valedictory function of two 3-day training courses here at IMPARD Main Campus, Srinagar.These short duration training courses including “Sustainable Development Goals and Gram Panchayats” and “Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA)” were conducted by the Rural Development Wing of J&K IMPARD.Participants from various departments of J&K government including Horticulture, Agriculture, Sericulture, Rural Development and others attended these training courses.DG IMPARD, while addressing at the event, said that local people, through efficient community mobilization, participate and share inputs with government functionaries which enables the latter to remain informed about the conditions prevailing on ground. This eventually helps them to execute development programmes effectively at micro-level.
Elaborating on the theme of peoples’ participation, Director General said that the government of various countries including that of India are expected to frame their agendas for development while keeping in view the local conditions so that the goals set for development are sustainable and practical as well. In this context, the countries are expected to work according to the criteria laid down by the United Nations.Director General further said that in India the policy is to actualize development goals at the grassroots level, i.e., at gram panchayat (village council) level. This can be done by strengthening panchayat level institutions and by capacity building of functionaries of Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs). He also said that Back to Village (B2V) program was a part of strengthening people’s participation through interaction.Director General highlighted that not only men but also women are required to be made part of the decision making process especially in rural areas.Also present in the valedictory function were respective course coordinators Dr. B. A Kumar, Associate Professor and Dr. M. Ashraf Dar, Assistant Professor, Centre for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj and Dr. Mushtaq Ahmad Khan, Professor and Head, Centre for Good Governance and Administrative Reforms.