Block Administration Links The Government To Rural Masses

The government is focusing on rural development by better enabling the rural governance institutions. The block administration performs an important role in this process. BE’s Saptarshi Deb spoke to Shubho  Sinharoy, Block Devlopment Officer, Durgapur Faridpur Block, Paschim  Bardhaman to understand the role that the block  administration plays in the developmental process of rural India.

Q) How does the block administration ensure accountability of the various government run programmes?

A) First of all, the administration is accountable to the people and there are various means to ensure accountability. We emphasise on several display mechanisms to highlight the various mission mode schemes. Display boards are mandatory and necessary details, regarding the various schemes, are mentioned in these display boards. This is one sort of accountability. Additionally, the Right to Information Act has enhanced accounatbility substantially. We regularly get a number of applications from various stake-holders as well as from the general people and under the RTI Act, we are legally bound to answer all such queries.

Besides, in our district, we are trying to implement a programme called ‘Janotar Duare Prashasan’. Under this programme, the entrire block administration along with the Gram Panchayat (G.P) administration regularly visits villages to meet the villagers. Six to seven such visits are organised during a year. People ask us many questions and approach us with thier problems. We try to solve these problems then and there and if that is unfeasible, we work on thier problems subsequently and get back to them. Right now, there is a clear emphasis on acountability and transparency. When the performanance of activities like bee-keeping and inter cropping of vegetables.