Additional Secretary DARPG chairs meeting for rolling out District Governance Index in J&K

SRINAGAR: In order to carry forward the decisions taken in “Behtar Nizam-e-Hakumat Kashmir Aelamia Declaration”, a meeting was chaired by V.Srinivas, Additional Secretary, Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG), Government of India here today to rollout District Governance Index in Jammu and Kashmir.

The meeting was attended by Saurabh Bhagat, Director General IMPARD, Dr.Qayoom Hussain, Vice-Chancellor Cluster University and other representatives from Universities, Deptt. of Economics and Statistics and was also attended on-line by the representatives from NCGG, New Delhi and Centre for Good Governance, Hyderabad.

The implementation of District Good Governance Index will improve the quality of governance and ensure outcome based governance in the districts.

The Index would be prepared in collaboration with DARPG, National Centre for Good Governance (NCGG), Gol, New Delhi, J&K IMPARD and some Universities, including Kashmir University, Central University, Kashmir, Cluster University, Kashmir and Directorate of Economics and Statistics, J&K on the pattern of Himachal Pradesh and some renowned experts of National / International repute.

In this regard, a committee has been constituted of all the stakeholders who would first study and analyse the data of various priority sectors/indicators which shall be weighed and ranked. This data base would be provided by the Department of Economics and Statistics J&K and will form the basis for development of District Good Governance Index.

It was also decided that four districts of J&K Union Territory, two each from Kashmir and Jammu divisions shall be taken in the first phase for rolling out of this initiative. J&K IMPARD has been detailed for coordination between various organizations in Jammu and Kashmir for this purpose.