The Community and Rural Development Department, in collaboration with the State Institute of Rural Development (SIRD) and the All Meghalaya Gram Sevaks-Sevikas Service Association (AMGSSA), conducted a one day workshop on ‘Transformation for Gram Sevaks and Gram Sevikas of Meghalaya’ today.
The aim was to strengthen and motivate fellow Gram Sevaks-Sevikas to better serve the rural areas for rural development. The main objective of the workshop was to identify a roadmap in strengthening the Gram Sevaks and Gram Sevikas.
About 100 Gram Sevaks and Gram Sevikas from Khasi, Jaintia and Garo Hills participated in the workshop. Officials from C&RD Department, SIRD and State Capability Enhancement Project (SCEP) also participated in the workshop.
During the workshop, the Gram Sevaks and Sevikas affirmed their roles in rural development by signing an undertaking, pledging their commitment to transform Meghalaya’s rural development. The participants provided valuable insights on ways to strengthen Gram Sevaks and Gram Sevikas and highlighted the challenges faced by them through focused group discussions.
In her opening remarks, the Director of SIRD Meghalaya, Sanme R Marak, welcomed all dignitaries and expressed her appreciation to all stakeholders in initiating the workshop.
Addressing the gathering, FR Kharkongor, Commissioner and Secretary of the C&RD Department, praised the AMGSSA for initiating the capacity building workshop. He emphasised that the Gram Sevaks and Sevikas are the most important building blocks of development in Meghalaya by comparing them with “living root bridges between the government and the people”.
“They are the harbinger of hope and the ones who bring solutions to the many challenges and to bring development as the motto says ‘To Inspire and to Deliver’,” he added, while emphasising the need to champion the cause of development in rural areas and expressed that each one of them are already champions in the eyes of the community.
In his speech, SC Sadhu, Secretary of the C&RD Department, further mentioned the importance of redefining the role of Gram Sevaks and Gram Sevikas in changing circumstances. There is a need to transform Gram Sevaks and Gram Sevikas with the present scenario in terms of implementing the flagship schemes and at the same time bring convergence with other departments that are working in the field of rural development for better service delivery and better development in the rural areas in the long term.
President of the AMGSSA, Banshan Lyngdoh, also addressed the audience and mentioned that the workshop would boost their morale so that they can work harder and dedicate themselves especially when dealing with the rural population.
