When Sashikant Verma made his presentation before Union Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh earlier this year, Simdega arrived on the map of the country for some positive reasons. The Naxal-hit and tottering with poverty the district of Jharkhand is now becoming a model to be replicated in other districts.
Simdega earned accolades for the work done in the field of financial inclusion through innovative methods, education and strengthening of panchayati raj institutions besides encouraging the well-offs to play their part in social development.
“In the last one year, we have worked hard to connect every panchayat through ultra small bank branches. Till date, we have reached in 32 and hoping to cover rest 94 in three months time,” said Verma who joined as Prime Minister Rural Development Fellow (PMRDF) in the district last year.
His ideas and initiatives have paved way for installing V-SAT at the panchayat buildings which is also identifying entrepreneurs among villagers. “The step for financial inclusion has made significant interventions. Earlier, elderly persons had to travel miles for old-age pension and often return empty handed. I noticed this while travelling in the villages and pointed this out in meetings. Now they can feel easy as the banks have been opened at their door steps,” added Verma.
Aimed to facilitate developmental activities in rural areas the Centre has coined the idea to appoint qualified professionals in different streams as PMRDFs throughout the country. Their interventions made in rural hinterland of Jharkhand — also deeply poverty ridden — become significant considering Naxal presence in most part of the State.
The interventions are also being acknowledged by senior officials of the districts. “He is quite committed and has suggested several subtle variations. Works undertaken in the district are done collective manner but he has been an important part of the implementation process. We are in the process of taking many steps that would be first of its kind in the country,” said Simdega DC Prawin Kumar Toppo. Professional approach might have been behind companies like TCS and NGOs such as ‘Pratham’ coming here and play their role.
“We have invited professionals such as doctors, engineers, Government officials and even MlAs and PRI members for voluntarily adopting government schools and anganwadi centers adjoining under mera school-mera kendra initiative. 238 schools and similar number of anganwadi centers have been adopted so far by persons, including by our DC, the MlA and DSE. The DC even teaches children for two hours and checks their note books. We have also hired TCS for building websites under their CSR activity so that any interested persons can search school before adoption,” said the PMRDF. The officials visit their adopted schools once
in a week.
Another idea to deal with human trafficking, which is omnipresent throughout the district, has gathered attention at national level. ‘Pratham’, a social organisation supported by industrialists like Mukesh Ambani, is there and running skill development and rehabilitation centre.
“Simdega is known as a trafficking hub of the State. We have invited ‘Pratham’ to run a skill development centre. 100 trained youths would be sent to ISM-Pundag for Hotel Management. They would be offered minimum Rs 15,000 of package with 90 per cent placement guarantee,” he said.
Despite the district being Naxal-hit the fellow is looking for a bottom-up approach to take the bull by its horn. “System can improve and is improving. My job is to suggest ideas that can include more and more people. It is the mandate we have,” said Verma.