Page 12 - MGMG July to December 2019 Special Issue

RESPONSE OF THE STAKEHOLDERS
On 20th June, 2019 at 10 am, Mehshi Devi, Panch of Ward No. 2, Panchayat Sarar, Block Chenani in
District Udhampur of Jammu Division approached the Panchayat Ghar. Her village didn?t have access to
piped water and therefore the women of her ward had to trek for half a kilometer every morning to get
potable water. Being a representative of the said ward she had raised this issue with various block-level
authorities but to no avail. However, now she is hopeful that her long-pending grievance will be heard,
redressed and her village will be relieved of this malady.

The local inhabitants outside the Panchayat Ghar are exhilarated as they are aware that a senior
government officer has come to their village to listen to their demands, issues, grievances and
suggestions and will spend two days and one night with them.

Ranjit said it?s for the first time that a senior gazetted officer stayed amidst them for such a long period
of time. He said, it is a golden opportunity for us to share our grievances and demands. While more and
more people thronged the Panchayat Ghar, the place was already jam-packed with the local inhabitants
including women, elderly persons and children who are passionately interacting and posting their
grievances to the visiting officer who arrived at dawn to hold an interaction with the local inhabitants of
the Panchayat.

Principal Secretary to Government, Planning, Development and Monitoring, Rohit Kansal gave a patient
hearing to the public. During the interaction, the locals raised various developmental issues like
macadamisation of roads, electricity, drinking water, development of health and educational
infrastructure, illegal land encroachments and even suggested ways to overcome these problems. In the
afternoon, the visiting officer embarked on a journey that entailed inspecting schools, health institutions,
works executed under various flagship programmes in the Panchayat viz. MGNREGA, PMAY(G) et al.
He also inaugurated playfield in the Panchayat for the recreational purpose of the youth. The senior
officer held an interaction with frontline workers, representatives and prominent inhabitants of the
Panchayat.

300 kilometres away from Udhampur, in Panchayat Sonamarg in District Ganderbal in Kashmir
Division the day started at 7 o?clock. Sonamarg- nestled in lap of Himalayas- usually looks sleepy at this
hour. However on 21st June 2019 the Panchayat witnessed a festive atmosphere as people come out of
their homes in droves to attend a Gram Sabha proceeding underway in their village. Shameema Akhtar,

10