The fifth phase of "Back to Village" program commenced today in the district of Poonch with Commissioner Secretary of Rural Development Department (RDD) and Panchayati Raj, Mandeep Kaur, visiting Panchayat Seri Khawaja in Lassana Block.
District Development Council Chairperson, Tazim Akhter, Deputy Commissioner, Yasin M Choudhary, Director RDD and Panchayati Raj, ACD, ACP, SE Hydraulic Circle Poonch, Chief Education Officer, DSWO, LDM, Deputy Director Employment, all Executive Engineers, BDO Lassan, CMO, CHO, CAO besides all district officers and Sarpanchs and Panchs were present.
The visit aimed to address the grievances of locals and facilitate meaningful interactions with the general public of the area. The day began with a plantation drive at Government Girls Middle School Hurmi Dhaki Seri Khwaja, symbolizing the importance of environmental conservation.
Additionally, the Commissioner Secretary inaugurated a Community Composite Pit and Pink Toilet Complex for ladies in the panchayat, promoting sanitation and hygiene. During her visit, the Commissioner Secretary inspected stalls set up by various departments and assessed the progress made under different schemes, focusing on achieving the predetermined targets.
She actively engaged with PRIs, senior citizens and the general public, gathering detailed feedback on the developmental activities undertaken in the area. Addressing the gathering, the Commissioner Secretary emphasized the significance of Back to Village program in bridging the gap between the administration and the common masses.
As part of the visit, Mandeep Kaur distributed School Bags under the "Beti Bachao Beti Padho" scheme and handed over vehicle keys under the Mumkin schemes, along with loan sanction letters by J&K Bank under the Self-Employment Generation schemes.
Commissioner Secretary promptly issued on-the-spot instructions to concerned departments, urging them to prioritize speedy resolution of projected issues. She stressed the importance of strong coordination among government departments and local PRI members to enhance grievance redressal and ensure effective implementation of development projects on ground.
After addressing public grievances, sports activities were organized by DYSSO Poonch, where the Commissioner Secretary interacted with the players and encourage their participation. During her visit, the Commissioner Secretary also inspected ongoing works initiated during the last phase of the Back to Village program in the Panchayat.
She directed field functionaries to expedite the execution process and ensure the timely completion of all ongoing projects. Mandeep Kaur announced inclusion of previously left-out beneficiaries under the PMAY (G) scheme and instructed officials to display the updated beneficiary list in every Panchayat.
She urged PRIs and locals to verify the authenticity of PMAY cases and report any errors or false claims to the concerned Block Development Officer (BDO). The Commissioner Secretary encouraged active participation in Gram Sabhas for optimum outcome. She assured the public that the issues raised during the Back to Village Phase-V would be addressed in a phased manner.