Sector Expert Consultation on Governance and Institutions

On 17th November, a sector expert consultation was organized on ‘Governance and Institutions’ at Amar Clark, Jaipur. The consultation was focused to identify the cross-sectoral issues in Rajasthan. A total of 34 sector experts participated in the consultation.

Sector experts from the Department of Minority Affairs, State Finance Commission, Rural Development Department, Rajasthan Police and other representative from Rajasthan Government, Jindal School of Public Policy, Budget Analysis Rajasthan Centre, Jaipur, Center for Micro Finance, Jaipur, All India Service Pensioners Association along with many other representative of various civil society organizations and academia attended the consultation.  All sector experts contributed to a meaningful discussion on the solutions to address challenges for the governance sector. A total of 51 interventions were listed.

Interventions

• Training and Capacity building (at systematic level) to improve absorption capacity of funds and decision making by Gram Shabha for the funds received by new devaluation of index of finance commission 
• Awareness of citizen about existing scheme and entitlement of citizen (under all present scheme) for last mile beneficiaries (could be taken up by campaign and moment with the help of civil society) 
• Panchayat MIS system to feed in information to panchayat functionaries- more interactive and help in decision making at GP level (details of projects approved- technical, administrative and functional approval)    
• Efficient delivery system 
• Increasing Transparency (using Right to information in constructive ways to improve governance and support such initiative) 
• Improving accountability and ensuring the decision making responsibly (of system and officials) - importance of Gram Shabha in improving accountability
• Flexibility in fund expenditures allocated to department (beyond allocated budget head) - to ensure innovation and meet the unexpected demand (region and geography-based approach) 
• Ensuring informed decision making by GPs based on data and information 
• Strengthening the local democracy and planning process at panchayat level 
• Gram Panchayat coordination committee (members to be activated, who only exist in paper)  
• Selection of local people for serving in (Govt jobs) their own area to avoid transfers at later stage   
• Better monitoring of existing scheme and program - involvement of private sector and use of technology in regular monitoring 
• Reducing school dropouts: Flexibility of timing in school hours along with teaching-learning methodology 
• Mandate for private sector involvement in program monitoring 
• Nikay Mitra by finance commission (an initiative by finance commission)    
• Yuva Vikas Prarak (youth worker for encouraging development) by State Government to connect with citizen with State policies 
• Activating the climate change cell of Rajasthan and connecting climate initiative’s it with GSDP plans 
• Empowerment of Panchayat in terms larger role in decision making - along with capacity building on management and governance issue 
• Long-term planning (vision for state) for health and education sector - based on past experience/learning of State: consistency at political level in terms of State priority 
• Participatory planning, implementation as well monitoring with greater emphasis on citizen involvement   
• Election manifesto to be Legally binding for political parties - Also same manifesto to address the steps for achievement of promises 
•  Reduce the number of scheme and improve targeted awareness of existing scheme 
• Reduce the procedural requirement for beneficiaries and improve access to schemes
•  Strengthening the citizen engagement platform and empower various community committee for program implementation and monitoring 
• Regular review of existing mechanism for impact evaluation and provide input to people at decision making  
• Public display (online and physical) of all citizen engagement platform (including details of their functionaries) and all decisions to be displayed along with agenda and discussion in such platform 
• Migrant communities and domestic workers - universal availability of basic identification document (AADHAR, voting ID card) and a mechanism to enroll everyone  
• Compensatory allowance for grassroots functionaries serving in remote and rural areas
• Mandatory disclosure by all department for failed programs and activities (availability of this information at department website) 
• Public officials to organized brainstorming session for each sector at the district level (inviting all stakeholder) 
• Best practices to be identified from block and district level - a regular mechanism to identify, share, and maintain the documentation online 
• Success stories to be identified and up-scaled: by understanding their real context and applicability on the ground 
• Education/regular courses for school children for their rights and responsibilities 
• Tribal Plan and Tribal sub-plan - Status of policy, clarity, and plane ahead - an act needed to be passed 
• Consistency in government policy and schemes
• Implementation of state water policy (ensure ownership of water bodies by local community) 
• Saving and restoration of Riverbed/basin and river land – stop allocation of this land to any entity 
• Panchayat level committee for water management ( to ensure water availability, management, and distribution of water at village level)   
• Establishment of Panchayat Resource Centers – local and area-based solution for local problems  
• Social inclusion of differently abled people (better access to credit, benefit of schemes, awareness as well as acceptance in society)
• Government to stop re-discovering wheel and to learn from their past experiences 
• Improving and strengthening the Criminal justice system to be given priorities (Police, judiciary and prison system to be provided resources and adequate manpower) 
• Gram Panchayat Development plan (GPDP): all standing committees must be activated 
• Gram Shabha to be organized in reality with their ability to access their power (should not be used only for signature)  
• Rajasthan Sampark Portal 
• Gram Panchayat to be empowered with ability to exercise their power- 5 sector and proposed next 29 sectors (without dependence on Block development officer for all administrative approval)  
• Transfer policy for all public officials working for essential services like health and education  
• Provide specialized and regular training for administrative, program implementation and management skills to elected representatives (ERs) 
• Strengthening e-governance- RGSKs, SATCOM, CARISMA
• Design and implement a website for PRI information convergence
• Strengthening district level institutional networks for training of PRI functionaries 

List of Participants

• Dr. Jyoti Kiran, Chairperson, 5th State Finance Commission, Govt. of Rajasthan
• Dr. V. S. Vyas, Prof. at Institute of Development Studies, Jaipur and Chairman, Ajit Foundation
• M. A. Khan, Dy. Director, Dept. of Minority Affairs, Govt. of Rajasthan
• Dr. O. P. Kulhari, Secretary & Director, CULP, Jaipur
• Vinob Vyasuzu, Professor, Jindal School of Public Policy, O. P. Jindal Global University 
• Usha Bapna, Retd, Additional Director, RD, Govt. of Rajasthan 
• Radha Kanth Saxena, I.G.Prisons (Retd.), CHRI, Govt. of Rajasthan
• P. N. Bandari, Advocate, Former Additional Chief Secretary, Govt. of Rajasthan
• Tushita Mukherjee, Project Coordinator, PRAYAS, Jaipur
• Vazida Ansari, Anchor M&E, Livelihoods, Center for Micro Finance, Jaipur
• Y.C.Sharma, I.F.S (Retd), All India Service Pensioners Association
• Balwand Sharma, Senior Program Officer, PRIA
• Yogesh Jain, Director Programmes, PRAYATN SANSTHA
• Arvind Ojha, Secretary, URMUL Trust
• Ram Swaroop Gurjar, Program Coordinator, Shiv Shiksha Samiti Ranoli, Tonk
• O.P.Meena, Project Officer, SWACH Project, Jaipur
• Adv(Dr). Vinaykant, Advocate, IHRS
• Sheela Karwani, Advocate, IHRS
• Virendra Shrimali, Program Officer, The Hunger Project-India
• Kusum Gaur, National Partnership Officer, Humana People to people India, Delhi
• Barkha Mathur, Budget Analyst, Budget Analysis Rajasthan Centre, Jaipur
• Krishan Takhar, Research Consultant, Budget Analysis Rajasthan Centre, Jaipur
• Dharmveer Yadav, Consultant-Child Rights  
• Pranvendra. K. Bagra, ACD, CULP, Jaipur
• Vijay Goyal, G S Resource Institute for Human Rights, Jaipur
• Ankita Luharia, Program Officer, Action Aid
• Narendra Pratap Singh, SRO, CEDS, Jaipur
• Manish Saxena, Director, WORLD
• Alok Vyas, Deputy Director, CECOEDECON
• Advocate Ruby Khan, Advocate, CECOEDECON
• Dalveer Singh, P.A., Chairperson, 5th State Finance Commission, Govt. of Rajasthan
• Indu Shekhar Mishra, Informatics Assistant, 5th State Finance Commission, Govt. of Rajasthan