Hummingbird News Desk
NEW DELHI, 22 JAN: While interacting with district magistrates of various districts across the country via video conference on the implementation of key government schemes, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today asked them to work on time-bound targets for taking roads to all villages and ensuring Ayushman cards, bank accounts, Ujjwala gas connection, insurance and pension housing for every household.
Calling for a two-year vision for every district, he suggested that every district could identify ten tasks to be completed in the next three months to improve ease of living for common people. Similarly, five tasks could be associated with the “Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav”.
The DMs shared their experience which has led to improvement of performance of their districts on a host of indicators. The Prime Minister sought direct feedback from them about the key steps taken by them which has resulted in success in the districts, and about the challenges faced by them in this endeavour.
He also asked them about how working under the aspirational districts programme has been different from their work done earlier. The officers discussed how JanBhagidari has been a key factor behind this success.
They spoke about how they kept people working in their team motivated on a daily basis, and made efforts to develop the feeling that they were not doing a job but were performing a service. They also spoke about increased inter-departmental coordination and benefits of data driven governance.
Addressing the officials, the Prime Minister noted that when the aspirations of others become your aspirations, when fulfilling the dreams of others becomes the measure of your success, then that path of duty creates history. Today we are seeing this history being made in the aspirational districts of the country, he added.
He noted that various factors led to a situation where aspirational districts, in the past, started lagging behind. In order to facilitate holistic development, special hand-holding was done for the aspirational districts. The situation has changed now as Aspirational Districts are now eliminating the barriers of the progress of the country.
The Aspirational Districts are becoming an accelerator instead of an obstacle. The Prime Minister underlined the expansion and redesigning that has taken place due to the campaign in the Aspirational Districts. This has given a concrete form to the federal spirit and culture of the Constitution, the basis of which is the team work of centre-state and local administration, the Prime Minister said.
The Prime Minister stressed that for development in aspirational districts, a direct and emotional connect between the administration and the public is very important. A sort of ‘top to bottom’ and ‘bottom to top’ flow of governance is necessary. Important aspect of this campaign is technology and innovation, he said.
The Prime Minister also mentioned districts where excellent results have been obtained by the use of technology and innovation in the fields like malnutrition, clean drinking water and vaccination.
The Prime Minister noted that convergence is a major reason for the country’s success in the aspirational districts. All resources are the same, government machinery is the same, officials are the same but the results are different. Seeing the entire district as a unit enables the officer to feel the enormity of her efforts and give a sense of purpose of life and satisfaction of bringing meaningful change.
The Prime Minister noted that during the last 4 years, Jan-Dhan accounts have increased by 4-5 times in almost every aspirational district. Almost every family has got a toilet and electricity has reached every village. A new energy has been infused in people’s lives, he said. The Prime Minister said due to a tough life the people of Aspirational Districts are more hard-working, courageous and capable of taking risks and this strength should be recognized.
The Prime Minister drew the attention of the officers towards the changed mindset of New India. He reiterated that today, during the Azadi ka Amrit Kaal, the country’s goal is to achieve 100% saturation of services and facilities. That is, we have a long way to go compared to the milestones we have achieved so far and have to work on a much bigger scale.
The Prime Minister said the country is witnessing a silent revolution in the form of Digital India. No district should be left behind in this. He stressed the importance for digital infrastructure reaching every village and becoming a means of door-step delivery of services and facilities. He asked NITI Aayog to devise a mode of regular interaction between the DMs. Central Ministries were asked to document the challenges of these districts.
The Prime Minister said various ministries and departments of the government have prepared a list of 142 districts which are not so much lagging in development but are weak on one or two parameters.
He emphasized the need to work with the same collective approach as is being done in the Aspirational Districts. “This is a new challenge for all the governments- the government of India, the state government, the district administration, and the government machinery. Now we have to complete this challenge together”, the PM Modi said.
Tags: #NarendraModi #PM #DistrictMagistrates #AspirationalDistricts #NITIAayog
