Srinagar Gears Up for Workshop on Localizing SDGs in Panchayats, Starting Today

The Ministry of Panchayat Raj, in collaboration with the Panchayati Raj & Rural Development Department of the Government of Jammu & Kashmir, is organizing the National Workshop on the Localization of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Gram Panchayats through Thematic Approaches.

This workshop focuses on Theme 8: "Panchayat with Good Governance" and is scheduled to take place from August 21 to August 23, 2023, in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir.

The Union Rural Development & Panchayati Raj Minister, Giriraj Singh, will inaugurate the three-day workshop. The event will also have notable attendees including the Lt. Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, Manoj Sinha, and the Union Minister of State for Panchayati Raj, Kapil Moreshwar Patil.

Other dignitaries expected at the inauguration include Sunil Kumar, Secretary of the Ministry of Panchayati Raj; Arun Kumar Mehta, Chief Secretary of the Government of Jammu and Kashmir; Dr Chandra Shekhar Kumar, Additional Secretary of MoPR; Mandeep Kaur, Commissioner and Secretary of RD&PR Department of the Government of Jammu and Kashmir; Vikas Anand, Joint Secretary of MoPR; Dr Bijaya Kumar Behera, Economic Adviser of MoPR, as well as various other esteemed individuals and local public representatives.

The workshop anticipates the participation of senior officials from the Government of India and State Governments, representatives from United Nations and international agencies, and around 1000 elected representatives from Panchayati Raj Institutions across the country.

During the opening session of the workshop, several significant releases are planned, including the "Meri Panchayat Mobile app" developed by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, Operating Guidelines of NCBF, Service-level Benchmarks, Self-Assessments, and Model Contract.

Elected representatives and functionaries from Panchayati Raj Institutions nationwide, particularly those who have made strides in thematic areas, will be present at the workshop. The event will showcase experiences and best practices related to the 5 Ts of Good Governance: Teamwork, Timeline, Transparency, Technology, and Transformation.

Participating entities include elected representatives and functionaries from Panchayats, key stakeholders, domain experts, and agencies that have demonstrated exceptional work in the field of Good Governance. Representatives from State Departments of Panchayati Raj and Rural Development, Planning Departments, NIRD&PR, SIRD&PRs, and Panchayati Raj Training Institutes will also join the workshop.

Selected Gram Panchayats from different States/UTs will present their experiences through short video film presentations during various technical sessions and panel discussions.

The primary aim of the workshop is to showcase effective strategies, approaches, and innovative models pertaining to capacity building and training, best practices, monitoring frameworks, incentivization, and integrating the themes of SDGs into Gram Panchayat Development Plans (GPDP).

The workshop is part of the broader effort to localize the SDGs in rural areas, particularly through the involvement of Panchayati Raj Institutions. This approach involves grouping the 17 SDGs into 9 themes and aligning them with local actions for achieving global plans. The Ministry of Panchayat Raj has made policy decisions and revisions, leading to the enhancement of initiatives like Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (RGSA) and Gram Panchayat Development Plan (GPDP) Guidelines, which facilitate the localization process.

The ultimate vision of the workshop, as encapsulated in Theme 8, emphasizes the importance of good governance in socio-economic development. Good governance is linked to effective service delivery and the 5 T pillars of Teamwork, Technology, Timeline, Transparency, and Transformation.

It centers on Gram Panchayats' responsibility to deliver citizen services promptly, efficiently, and transparently, promoting vibrant Gram Sabhas, informed discussions, inclusive decision-making, proactive information sharing, and efficient grievance redressal mechanisms.