Express News Service
LUCKNOW: After the constitution of new rural local bodies following three-tier panchayat elections in April-July, this year, the Uttar Pradesh government is planning sweeping changes to bring about sanity in the functioning of over 58,000 gram panchayats across the state.
After announcing the setting up of rural secretariats at all gram panchayats in the state, the state government has taken steps to make them more accountable to the people by introducing citizen’s charter.
The Yogi cabinet had approved a proposal to set up rural secretariats in the gram panchayats last month and claimed that the process would be completed in six months.
Moreover, state minister Siddharth Nath Singh said that in the gram panchayats, as many as 58,189, panchayat assistants/accountant-cum-data entry operators would also be posted. The process of appointments is already on.
Now, besides the smooth development of villages, the gram panchayats would be made more accountable towards ensuring public amenities to the common villagers by the implementation of citizens charters across all the gram panchayats in the state.
The sources claimed that Chief Secretary has already issued the circular to the Panchayati Raj department and all the districts to ensure implementation of citizen charter at the panchayat level.
After the implementation of the charter, public issues would be addressed and their redressal would be ensured in a time-bound manner.
As per the informed sources, the state government has already issued the model citizen charter for the panchayats who have to select services/amenities out of 39 heads and implement them by August 15.
The state government is also launching a drive called — Meri Panchayat, Mera Adhikar, Jan Suvidhayen Humare Dwar. Under this scheme, the village head, and the newly elected panchayat members will be made accountable to common villagers.
The village panchayats will be required to paste the services/ amenities under citizen charter at the panchayat bhawans on August 15 and also notify their time-bound implementation and redressal of issues.
The basic amenities to be ensured under the citizen charter include providing birth/death certificates in time, convening gram sabha, issuance of MNREGA card, administrative and developmental works, making potable water available, cleanliness, upkeep of community property, social welfare, education, health, and Covid management. In all the charter enumerates 39 services of which the village panchayats will provide some or all to the villagers.