Collector Deepak Soni of Chhattisgarh's Dantewada district on Wednesday gave a new confidence to four interior village panchayats by talking to them direct on video conferencing and promising to fulfill their "very genuine" demands.
It was a watershed moment as Soni pledged that their demands like availability of a doctor in the Health Centre at least once a week, opening of ration shops and converting 'ashramshala' (residential school) into middle school will be met within the stipulated time.
Soni met the grassroot public representatives such as Sarpanchs of Edpal, Gumiyapal, Toylanka and Cherpal village panchayats to know their problems, an official statement said.
Apart from knowing about their hardships, he queried about the status of government schemes, the benefits they are receiving, the status of malnutrition and medical facilities and related subjects, the statement said.
"The demands of the village representatives are very genuine and simple," the Collector told The Pioneer.
He said they wanted a MBBS qualified doctor in their Health Centre at least once a week, a ration shop, a middle school and 'Devgudi' (a place where they worship their local deity).
"I have issued orders for the availability of the MBBS doctor in the Health Centre once in a week and their other demands will be met in a timely manner," he added.
He said that people will also get services from a medical mobile unit.
"We have pro-actively taken these actions so that the bonds between the government and public can be strengthened further," the Collector said.
The people living in these areas have for the first time after the country's independence 70 years ago received identity proof, the Collector said.