Coordinated Efforts Needed for Rural Development: Dr. Chauhan

Kurukshetra, July 8.:  A group of participants from the six-day training program for Block Development and Panchayat Officers—conducted by the Ministry of Rural Development at the Haryana Institute of Rural Development, Nilokheri—undertook a study tour of Beed Mathana village. During the visit, the participants inspected the community center currently under construction, the beautifully developed ‘Shiv Dham’ (cremation ground) created under the Shiv Dham Scheme, the village’s attractive entrance gate, and the gymnasium. Village officials and departmental representatives briefed the participants on the ongoing development works, the effective implementation of various schemes, and the functioning of the Gram Panchayat.
Dr. Virendra Singh Chauhan, Director of the Haryana Institute of Rural Development, stated that study tours hold special significance in capacity-building programs. They provide officers with the opportunity to observe and understand the successful implementation of development schemes at the grassroots level, enabling them to perform better and introduce innovations in their own areas of work.
He remarked that the success of rural development hinges on the coordinated efforts of public representatives, panchayats, and the administration. The development work carried out in Beed Mathana village serves as an exemplary model for other Gram Panchayats.
Dr. Devidayal, the Sarpanch of Beed Mathana, stated that the Gram Panchayat’s objective is to provide quality basic amenities and to execute every development project with transparency and public participation. He also briefed the participants on the village’s development journey and the various schemes implemented there. The Sarpanch noted that the community center currently under construction would serve not only the residents of Beed Mathana but also people from several neighboring villages. Tshering Wangchuk, a Block Development and Panchayat Officer from Ladakh, mentioned that he has served in this role for 15 years but had never before seen a ‘Shiv Dham’ (cremation ground) as beautiful and well-organized as the one in Beed Mathana.
Also present on the occasion were Jitendra Baliyan, President of the Haryana Sarpanch Association; Sunil Kumar, Sarpanch of Biholi; Neelam Chhikara, Consultant at the State Panchayat Resource Center, Nilokheri; and Sandeep Kumar (Assistant Professor) and Kamaldeep Sangwan (Program Coordinator) from the Haryana Institute of Rural Development, among others.