Vice President Shri Bhairon Singh Shekhawat said
that Hindi fortnightly "Grameen Bharat" will inculcate
confidence among the beneficiaries at Panchayat level that programmes
of Rural Development will benefit them. Releasing fortnightly
newsletter ‘Grameen Bharat’ here today, Shri Shekhawat said that
it will provide a useful platform for communicating information
and sharing of experiences relating to Rural Development. It will
not only have information on policies and guidelines relating
to the Rural Development programmes but will also have information
on success stories, rural technologies and feedback received from
the rural people across the country.
Shri Shekhawat emphasized to consolidate Rural
Development schemes for their effective and better implementation.
He pointed out that the success of rural development programme
is critically dependent on the participation of the people particularly
target groups. To enable people to participate in the development
process, it is necessary that people have adequate knowledge about
the nature of these programmes. Dissemination of information and
two-way communication therefore assumes significance in this context.
People’s involvement will also enhance vigilance over the scheme,
he added.
Rural Development Minister Shri Shanta Kumar
said that the fortnightly newsletter would be published in Hindi
and regional languages and distributed free of cost to all the
Panchayats numbering more than 2.36 lakh. The newsletter will
serve not only as a unilinear vehicle to communicate information
and message on Rural Development Programmes but also as reliable
source of getting feedback on the implementation of programmes
at the field level in the form of responses from the readers.
The Minister said that dissemination of information has to be
sustained over a period of time and in order to make communication
effective, it has to be in the language and idioms of the target
groups.
Ministers of State for Rural Development Shri
Subhash Maharia, Shri Annasaheb M.K.Patil, Rural Development Secretary
Shri M. Shankar, Rural Drinking Water Supply Secretary Shri. S.S.
Meenakshisundaram and senior officials of the Ministry were also
present on the occasion.
