Block Development Committee Meeting: A convergence platform between the people’s representatives and the Line Officials of different departments

The UN WFP team, along with the DoFCS&CA Uttarakhand, participated in one of the Block Development Committee Meetings of Chiniyalisaur, Uttarkashi. The meeting was chaired by the Pramukh (Chairman Panchayat Samiti) and attended by other dignitaries such as the CDO-Uttarkashi, Chairman-Zilla Panchayat, MLA representatives, and officials from various government departments. Additionally, PRI members (Sarpanch, Panchayat Samiti members, Zilla Parishad Members) from all 81 Panchayats in the district were present, totaling nearly 140 participants. The meeting commenced around 11:00 AM and continued until 5:00 PM. The agenda began with a review of the PMGSY program, followed by discussions on the PWD, Water Resources, Rural Construction, Transport, Electricity, Health and Family Welfare, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction, Education, Social Welfare, Irrigation, Jal Sansthan, Food, Civil Supply, Consumer Affairs, and other departments sequentially. 

Major Observations: 

• Certain issues, delayed due to inter-departmental coordination, were resolved on the spot with the intervention of the district administration. 

• PRIs had the opportunity to raise issues needing immediate action directly with the district administration. 

• Only 5-7 PRIs actively participated in the discussion by raising issues of non-compliance to previous suggestions. 

• Involvement of women representatives was very low, with only 1-2 female representatives raising any issues throughout the day. 

• Due to the participation large number of departments and not fixed time slots, the representation of all departments is not uniform. 

• The major focus of the discussion was on construction and infrastructure development-related works rather than other programs aimed at ensuring societal development. 

For the first time, I was able to participate in such a platform that can have an immense impact if utilized systematically and justly. Instead of using this as a Q&A forum, we can leverage it to share information on new programs, projects, and government initiatives, improve the knowledge and understanding of PRIs, guide the preparation of Panchayat-level action plans, and monitor progress. Though some of these actions were undertaken here, they were not systematic. Similar actions can be implemented in other blocks, districts, and states to foster a bottom-up approach to development. We have used this platform to generate awareness of the Fortified Rice Program implemented to address the issue of malnutrition in the state of Uttarakhand.

Participants during BDC-Chiniyali Sour, Uttarkashi