SRINAGAR, AUG 23: The Department of Housing and Urban Development has been instructed by the Government of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir to begin making preparations for the 5th cycle of the Back to Village (B2V) Programme and the third iteration of My Town My Pride.
Sources informed that before a comprehensive plan in this respect is decided upon at the highest level and communicated to them, the Prabhari Officers have been instructed to begin discussions with pertinent officers, especially the Deputy Commissioners.
The ‘Back to Village’ campaign aims to engage the public and government representatives in a cooperative effort to carry out the purpose of equitable development in the rural regions of the Union Territory. Similar to this, My Town My Pride emphasises community engagement in towns, doorstep service delivery, and bolstering local democracy in cities.
The Department of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj and the Department of Housing and Urban Development have been instructed by J&K UT Chief Secretary Dr. Arun Kumar Mehta to make preparations for hosting new rounds of these programmes in conjunction with all the relevant authorities.
According to reports, “the administration will soon finalise detailed strategy and suggest key points to Department of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj and Department of Housing and Urban Development Department. The exact dates for both these unique initiatives of the Government will then be announced.”
As part of both of these programmes, government employees travel to every Panchayat or Urban Local Body in the Union Territory and stay there for a set amount of time to interact with local residents and get their feedback on how to better deliver services to villages and towns.
The Back to Village Program’s Phase I was introduced in June 2019, followed by Phase II in November 2019, Phase-III in October 2020, and Phase-IV in November 2022.
