Rural development work to be visible on the ground - Deputy CM Maurya.

Lucknow: Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya has directed Rural Development Department officials to formulate effective, concrete strategies to shape development schemes, ensuring the work is visible on the ground. Officials were instructed to closely monitor work quality and ensure all tasks are completed quickly within the stipulated timeframes.

He directed that permissible works under the 'Viksit Bharat - Rozgar aur Aajivika ke liye Guarantee Mission' (VB-G RAM Ji) be executed and that workers be paid on time in accordance with the rules. He also ordered regular reviews of ongoing field activities.

Following the Deputy Chief Minister's directives, the Rural Development Department organised a one-day training workshop on the 'Viksit Gram Panchayat Plan' (VGPP) on Saturday at Jawahar Bhawan in Lucknow. Approximately 900 officials and employees from the state's 75 districts participated in the workshop, either in person or virtually. The program emphasised the proper implementation of activities under the VB-G RAM Ji scheme and highlighted the technical aspects of successfully implementing other schemes.

During the event, Principal Secretary (Rural Development) Shri Saurabh Babu emphasised the diversity of tasks and urged officials to prioritise works of community interest. He clarified that officials should not use machinery that displaces manual labour and stressed the need to minimise paperwork.

Commissioner (Rural Development) Pramod Kumar Upadhyay issued strict instructions to officials that only 375 permissible works are allowed under the 'Viksit Bharat - Rozgar aur Aajivika ke liye Guarantee Mission' (VB-G RAM Ji) Act. He stated that workers' wages must be prioritised and handled with complete transparency. Further, he directed that outstanding arrears be settled promptly.

Additional Commissioner Neha Bandhu expressed concern about incorrect data entry of labourers and construction works at the field level, categorising such errors as irregularities. She advised staff to remain vigilant and instructed officials to showcase the five best projects from their respective areas. She emphasised that technology should serve merely as an aid and should not be relied upon unthinkingly.

During the workshop, the significance of the remote sensing and GIS-based 'Yuktadhara Portal' was highlighted. This portal is instrumental in precise asset planning in rural areas, viewing maps, and preventing duplication of development works.

The group also discussed practical challenges in ID generation and water conservation initiatives.

In the final session, participants were evaluated through a quiz based on the VB-G Ram Ji Act. In the results announced on the spot, Atul Kumar Singh (Jaunpur) and Shashank Shekhar Prajapati (Azamgarh) jointly secured the first position. Akhilesh Kumar Verma (Barabanki) and Ram Naresh Ojha (Firozabad) secured the second and third positions, respectively.

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