Diglipur, Dec.04: A training programme for the newly elected representatives and functionaries of the Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) of Diglipur was held in the conference hall of APWD Guest House here today. At the outset, the message of the Hon’ble Lt Governor, for the newly elected representatives and functionaries of the PRIs of Diglipur, was read out on the occasion. In his message, the Lt. Governor A&N Islands, Lt. General AK Singh (Retd) has said that PRI members are the representatives of a real democracy and are directly connected to people. They must understand their duties and responsibilities so as to serve them in a better way. He also thanked the faculty of National Institute of Rural Development, (NIRD) for conducting this very important training.
The Lt. Governor has also reiterated the commitment of the A&N Administration towards strengthening further the vibrant Panchayati Raj System in the Islands so that the expectations of the masses are fulfilled. He also stressed that transparency and integrity should always be maintained and asked the PRI members to inform the people about the priorities in plans, which should be prepared in a realistic, pragmatic and unbiased manner, keeping in view the resources available. He has also asked the elected members and representatives of PRIs to follow the laid down rules and regulations and take prior sanctions from the authorities in case of any deviation in the plans.
The Lt Governor has asked the PRI members to work towards revenue generation to become self reliant. He has expressed confidence that the coordinated efforts by the Administration and the PRI members will take A&N Islands forward towards greater development in the coming days.
The Secretary (Home/ Civil Aviation/RD&PRIs), Shri N K Sharma read out the message of the Lt. Governor and inaugurated the training programme. Further addressing the trainees, consisting of Panchayat Samiti Pramukh and members, Pradhan and Secretaries of North Andaman PRIs, the Secretary (RD/PRIs & ULBs), highlighted the significance of the programme and appealed to the members to make best use of it and work for the development of their respective areas, following guidelines that are being imparted in the training. They must acquaint themselves of the matters relating to maintenance of cash books, account, as also planning for rural development, besides setting up revenue generation assets to minimize dependency on Govt. assistance, he said.
The Deputy Commissioner, (N&MA), Shri Arava Gopi Krishnan was also present on this occasion. The programme was organized by the Directorate of RD/PRIs & ULBs, in association with National Institute of Rural Development (NIRD), Hyderabad.
The three resource persons of the programme from NIRD Hyderabad, Prof. R Suryanarayana Reddy, Consultant NIRD, Dr. Ajit Kumar, Associate Professor, NIRD and Dr. T Phanindra Kumar, Asst. Professor NIRD, imparted training on different topics.
Prof. Suryanarayana made a PowerPoint presentation on ‘Decentralised Participatory Planning for Development by Local Government. He said that PRIs are the direct democracy having close to the people at the grassroots level. He stressed on the need for participation of every voter in discussion, suggestion and planning decision and highlighted the various steps guidelines and procedures for plan preparation, finalization and implementation at Gram Panchayat, Panchayat Samiti, Zilla Parishad and District level.
Dr. Phanindra Kumar, in his presentation on Village Geographic Information System (GIS), threw light on the significance of having Panchayat Informations system on all sphere, be its agriculture, animal husbandry, fisheries, land records, etc, which according to him are helpful for proper planning and speed implementation of developmental activities in a successful manner.
In his address, Dr. Ajit Kumar, Associate Professor, NIRD gave a presentation on Panchayati Raj Institutions promoting effective rural development. He also highlighted the need for strengthening PRIs through the mechanism of social audit and Right to Information.
The Block Development Officer Diglipur, Smt. Lalita Tigga in her welcome address apprised the PRIs members of the significance of the training and expressed hope that it will go a long way in facilitating them in framing plan for development.
