SRINAGAR: In a move aimed at enhancing the capacity of representatives of the Panchayat Raj institutions (PRIs) in Jammu & Kashmir, the government plans to conduct exposure visits for 10,343 elected representatives outside the UT during the ongoing fiscal year.
Documents accessed by the news agency KNO reveal that the administration of the UT will send 10,343 elected representatives outside the UT during the current financial year. The purpose is to facilitate cross-learning and provide them with first-hand experience of the commendable work being done by similar institutions in other states and Union Territories.
The term of the Panchayats and Block Development Councils in J&K is coming to an end in January 2024. There are strong indications that the district development councils would also be dissolved when the term of the Panchayats and BDCs concludes.
According to the documents, both capacity building and training, as well as exposure visits, require substantial resources and are to be carried out simultaneously. They must be completed at least three months prior to the expiration of the term of the PRIs at the panchayat/block level by January 2024.
It is worth mentioning that M/s. Positive Moves (India) Consulting Private Ltd. has been hired as the agency responsible for conducting capacity building and training, including training-cum-exposure visits, along with related IEC activities.
The Centre has approved Rs 69.94 crore for capacity building and training programs for the elected representatives (ERs) of all three tiers of Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) in J&K. This funding has been granted under the Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (RGSA) for the financial year 2023-24. The proposal was submitted by the UT of J&K and subsequently considered by the Central Empowered Committee in the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, Government of India, during its meeting held on March 17, 2023. (KNO)
