In over four decades of my career in public service, the greatest job satisfaction I have received is through my work with the Aspirational Districts Programme during my term as CEO at NITI Aayog. I travelled across the country to districts whose names most of my readers would not have heard of, and made efforts to understand developmental challenges faced by them. There is a rich treasure trove of stories, best practices and excellent initiatives in these districts that deserve to be showcased to the world. I have also personally met exemplary individuals-teachers, district level doctors, ASHA workers, district officials, farmers, artisans and even young students-who are making invaluable contributions to the nation through their localised efforts.
The most important attribute of a civil servant is to keep an ear to the ground and constantly learn from the reality checks that come with being on the field. Helming the Aspirational Districts Programme on behalf of NITI Aayog provided me with a unique opportunity to learn more about some of the most pertinent challenges faced by almost 22 per cent of the Indian people and working on solutions and initiatives to address these. This Programme has also enabled me to work with and learn from young, motivated Collectors who are reshaping ground realities in some of the most far flung districts of India based on outcomes, data and real-time monitoring.
From the Indo- Myanmar border in Nagaland, to the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir and the dense red corridor forests of Chhattisgarh, I have firsthand been privy to the relentless spirit of this future facing Programme driving ambitious transformation and touching so many lives across the country in incredible ways. It has dramatically broadened my own personal horizons.
Kiphire in Nagaland is one of the most geographically remote districts in India. It is located at the IndoMyanmar international border amid hilly and challenging terrain. I visited the district in April 2020 and it took us over 30 hours a combination of flight, helicopter, and road travel to get to the district headquarters. Most inhabitants of Kiphire are engaged in agriculture and related activities, with kholar or kidney beans being a popular crop. Recognising the rich potential of kholar cultivation in improving the livelihoods of the locals, a packaging facility for the same was set up through the Aspirational Districts Programme, under Government of India. The facility was an instant hit with the farmers. This push served as a massive impetus for the crop and Kiphire’s kidney beans are now being sold on the TribesIndia.com portal of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, reaching customers across the country..
Traversing westward from Kiphire, near India’s border with Bhutan, is the Baksa district of Assam. The district comprises of the Bodo indigenous communities.
Various parts of Baksa remain fully disconnected from the district headquarters due to torrential rains and flooding. This has made access to healthcare services very difficult for the Bodo people. During my tenure at NITI Aayog, we provided support to the district administration to ensure that the district can run mobile health ambulances during inhospitable weather conditions.
This enabled healthcare service delivery for the populations which were cut off. Incorporating the views of the local tribal council was paramount in taking this project ahead. What started as a link activity, led to the district converting the single use medical ambulance into running camps for various other activities as well.
From the extreme north-east, let me take you to the Himalayas in the north. Chamba in Himachal Pradesh is the state’s second largest district by area. At least two of Chamba’s blocks have severe connectivity challenges, both in terms of all-weather roads, as well as internet coverage. The Pangi block is a long drive even from the district headquarters, given the nature of mountainous terrain in the region. For six months, the block stays snowed in and absolutely disconnected, behind the mountain ranges, with access possible only via helicopters in case of urgency. The Aspirational Districts Programme enabled the district administration to work with the centre and ensure that telecom connectivity makes its way to the hard-to-reach areas, which had remained under-prioritised until recently. The Programme acted as an excellent platform to diagnose and intervene in the problems being faced by the district.
Further north from Himachal Pradesh, lies the heavenly valley of Kashmir. In 2018, in my capacity as the CEO of NITI Aayog, I visited two beautiful districts in the state which are situated at the volatile Line of Control between India and Pakistan. District Baramula is most well known for being home to the world-famous tourist destination Gulmarg. What many of us don’t know about and never visit are the remote pockets of the district which are closer to the Indo-Pakistan border, mainly in the steep, mountainous terrain.
Ensuring last mile delivery of essential public welfare services is extremely challenging in this hostile terrain. In spite of this, the district has made significant progress especially in terms of healthcare. There is a state-of-the-art district hospital catering to the needs of the citizens.
It is one of the finest, cleanest, most well-equipped hospitals with a highly dedicated team of doctors and staff. I was particularly delighted to participate in the inauguration of the dialysis centre during my visit. The primary healthcare centres also have adequate infrastructure and cater to the most remote pockets of the district. This was especially strengthened during the COVID-19 vaccination drive.
A few hours north of Baramula is the idyllic Kupwara, surrounded by the Line of Control on three sides. This is one of the most farflung district in Jammu and Kashmir and perhaps even in the country. It was heartening to see complete electrification of the district; even the most remote households located near the Indo-Pak border have been covered by the SAUBHAGYA (Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana) scheme. Several successful measures have also been implemented in the district to upskill local artisans in the craft of weaving shawls and other artefacts in the pashmina and aari embroidery style, intrinsic to Kashmir. In Kupwara, as part of the ADP workshops are organised for them and they are provided with market linkage. Under the Aspirational Districts programme, both districts have rolled out multiple initiatives especially in the areas of healthcare and education to serve their people better.
