Bhujbal's `gram sachivalaya' experiment fails to take off

Bhujbal's `gram sachivalaya' experiment fails to take off
Rakshit Sonawane

NASHIK, JULY 6: The first `high-tech' Gram Sachivalaya (village secretariat), inaugurated by deputy chief minister Chhagan Bhujbal, at Janori in Dindori taluka of Nashik district has failed to take off.

The gram sachivalaya was the first high-tech `mini mantralaya' to be inaugurated by Bhujbal in the state on February 24. Bhujbal had said that the aim of constructing such gram sachivalayas was to bring all local officials under one roof and extend the benefits of information-technology, including the internet and information about the status of developmental works, to the villagers. He had said that such gram sachivalayas would serve as `mini mantralayas' which would be connected to district collectorates and Mantralaya.

Bhujbal had spoken about providing computers, establishing telephone exchanges and interlinking all such centres to enable villagers to access information about the government works in progress in their region. He had painted a rosy picture mesmerising the villagers by his talk of online government information and services.

However, the Janori gram sachivalaya has not been provided with even a single computer. The work of laying optical fibre cables to create a telecommunication centre is said to be in progress. The sarpanch and talati use the upper-floor of the building as an office and meeting-hall. A room has been earmarked for the planned telephone exchange. The ground floor of the building has been commercially-exploited for creating shops. Five shops have been auctioned while three, which are reserved for people living below the poverty line (BPL) have no takers.

The Sarpanch of the village, Nivrutti Eknath Kathe, said that there were no skilled persons from the BPL category to whom the shops could be given free for some business like repairing TV sets etc. He said that the authorities were being requested to allow the gram panchayat to auction the space for three shops.

Kathe further said that the gram sachivalaya was yet to receive computers and the matter was being pursued with the state government. Nothing seems to have changed the village, which has a population of about 6,000. Some villagers are not amused with the gram sachivalaya. On the contrary, they are saying that it has disturbed the village life.

A villager, Nivrutti Ghumare, pointed out that the gram sachivalaya building has displaced some shopkeepers and blocked space where the weekly-bazar (market) used to be held. He has filed a written complaint with the authorities stating that the construction of the new building has not provided any additional service to the villagers and that the only difference it had made was that the gram panchayat and the local talati have moved from old structures (now locked) to new offices. He has also alleged that the new building has been unauthorisedly constructed, creating a bottle-neck for vehicular traffic.

He has further stated that the space available to farmers for selling their farm-produce at the weekly-market had reduced. He said that the gram panchayat and the talati had their offices in the village and by spending Rs 16 lakh for the new building nothing had been achieved as the gram sachivalaya was not offering any new service to the villagers.