Omar mulls citizens’ partnership in governance
Scoop News
March 16, 2012 Jammu, March 16 (Scoop News) – Flagging citizens’ partnership as most sought intervention in good governance and perspective planning of inclusive development, Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah Friday indicated the intension of his government to mull this initiative in the State.
“We intend to build a sustained and positive partnership with the citizens on a continuous basis to bring about a meaningful change in the governance concept making it participatory with common people”, he said adding that the new initiative will first target the cities and towns of the State and gradually bring rural areas under its ambit.
The Chief Minister was speaking at an presentation-cum-interaction session on ‘creating and sustaining a strong bond between citizens and government’ organized by Asian Centre for Organization of Research and Development (ACORD), New Delhi at Indian Institute of Public Administration (IIPA), Auditorium here.
Omar Abdullah in his yet another innovative measure to make development holistic and ensure sustained participation of people in development process has sought the expert opinion and draft roadmap from ACORD for this initiative he intends to put in place in the State. The effort of the Chief Minister is aimed at building partnership with all groups of citizens and stakeholders in
The Chief Minister said that he is keen to transform the relationship of people with the government from present ‘complainants and critics status’ to partners and collaborators in the process of development and responsibility. He said that involving and including people in a meaningful way in good governance particularly at the civic services level is need of the hour.
“This will also improve the quality of day-to-day life of the people and nurture the participatory mode of governance while government and the people will be equal partners in socio-economic change and responsibilities towards the society”, he said adding that under present scenario citizens are well informed about all aspects of development process and want immediate results on ground.
“Gone are the days when people used to have patience and wait for long drawn development processes”, he said adding that presently they are not interested to hear the political and historic tales from the politicians they are eager to know about the policy programme of the government, its fast implementation on ground and results thereof. He said people presently want to know what government has done for them. What it is doing and what are its future plans? “This kind of situation calls for participatory governance so that people are associated in the process of development at all levels”, he said adding that a sporadic and one time grievance meetings between the government and the citizens taking place at present to sort out problems has to give way to building a positive partnership between the government and the people on a continuous basis.
Omar Abdullah said that Panchayats have already been constituted in the State and their role in participatory governance is identified. “It has to be further strengthened and elaborated”, he said adding that the focus on creating a system under which people and government would be partners in planning and development has to be evolved in the pattern of Baighdhari initiative launched by ACORD in
Omar Abdullah said that public participation in identifying problems, finding the solutions jointly with the government and implementing these on ground and share benefits and responsibilities should be the aim and objective of participatory governance. “Let us set the ball rolling in this regard taking a leaf from the success of such an initiative under implementation in Delhi State”, he said underlining the importance of workshops and interaction sessions by the ACORD with State officers in first place and then with the stakeholders to evolve a roadmap to move forward successfully.
In response to a question, Omar Abdullah said that the State Government is working on a plan to remove all bottlenecks in the way of making public-private-partnership a reality in various development sectors in the State. He said in power sector we are working on a proposal to outsource the collection of power tariff as a pilot project in the two cities of Jammu and Srinagar and subsequently transfer this service to the panchayats in rural areas.
In the two hour long productive interaction session, Chairman ACORD, Prof. M. D. G. Koreth and Dr. (Ms) Kiron Wadhera gave answers to various questions put to them by the members of the civil society and Heads of the Government Departments present on the occasion.
Deputy Chief Minister, Tara Chand, Ministers,Taj Mohi-ud-Din, Abdul Gani Malik, Qamar Ali Akhoon, Ministers of State Ajaz Ahmad Khan, Javid Ahmad Dar, Economic Advisor to Government, J. A. Khan, various Administrative Secretaries, Heads of the Departments, Vice Chairman, IIPA and former PSC Member, A. M. Watali, Vice Chairman IIPA, C. M. Sethi, Secretary IIPA, G. B. S. Jowhar, Members of IIPA, retired government officers and senior citizens were present on the occasion.
Prof. Koreth presented a resume of the activities and research work of ACORD and explained the various aspects of Baighdhari initiative and the mechanism employed in its successful implementation in the corporate sector especially in Steel Authority of India Limitied (SAIL) and in
Dr. Ashok Bhan, Chairman, IIPA J&K Region presented the welcome address and gave brief about the functioning of IIPA J&K Region to organize seminars, workshops and interaction sessions of experts and stakeholders on various issues presently confronting the society. Joint Secretary IIPA, Vikrant Kuthiala presented the vote of thanks.
Tags: Omar , JK , CM , Mulls Citizens’ Partner , Governance
