CM calls for gap analysis, time-bound reforms
Pulwama, Samba districts secure 2nd, 3rd rankings
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Mar 23: In a strong push towards transparent and accountable administration, the Government of Jammu & Kashmir Union Territory has released the District Good Governance Index (DGGI) 5.0, evaluating performance of administrations of all 20 districts on key governance parameters for the Financial Year 2024-25.The performance has been evaluated based on 10 sectors having significant role in the economy of the Union Territory and districts have been ranked based on scores achieved on 58 indicators.
Follow the Daily Excelsior channel on WhatsApp
District Jammu is on the top of composite ranking in DGGI 5.0 with an aggregate DGGI score of 7.0552 while as district Kathua has been ranked at the bottom with aggregate DGGI score of 5.5826. The Pulwama and Samba districts have been ranked 2nd and 3rd with an aggregate DGGI score of 6.7655 and 6.7587 respectively.
District Jammu though slipped down in few sectors slightly but still maintained Ist rank in overall tally of ranks by improving its performance in Human Resource Development, Social Welfare and Citizen Centric.
District Pulwama stood 1st in Agriculture and Allied Sector, 2nd in Citizen Centric Governance besides improving its performance in Public Health, Social Welfare & Development and Legal and Public Safety sectors as compared to DGGI 4.0 thus securing 2nd rank in DGGI 5.0.
Similarly, district Samba secured 2nd rank in Public Health and Financial Inclusion besides improvement in sectors such as Social Welfare & Development and Legal and Public Safety in comparison to its performance in DGGI 4.0. The district also maintained rank 3rd in DGGI 5.0.
As per the index released by the Directorate of Economics and Statistics, which functions under the administrative control of Planning, Development and Monitoring Department, district Kathua slipped down to 20th position in DGGI 5.0 as compared to its 17th position in DGGI 4.0 although district improved its performance in Public Infrastructure, Public health, Legal & Public Safety and Environment sectors.
Pulwama, Kishtwar and Doda districts are top performers securing 1st, 2nd & 3rd rank in Agriculture & Allied Sector. District Pulwama excels in indicators like Horticulture Production, Mandis linked to e-nam & Kissan Credit Cards whereas Kishtwar and Doda districts secured 2nd and 3rd position in Agriculture Sectors due to their improved performance in the Soil Health Cards, Kissan Credit Cards, Agriculture Credit, Crop Insurance, Mandis linked to e-nam etc.
District Srinagar followed by Ganderbal and Jammu secured 1st, 2nd & 3rd ranks in Industries and Commerce as the indicators like Establishment under GST, MSME units registered and Credit to Handicrafts marked an increase in these districts in DGGI 5.0. The districts of Budgam, Anantnag and Kulgam attained 1st, 2nd & 3rd rank under Human Resource Development sector by noticeable improvement in indicators like Gender Parity, availability of basic facilities in Schools, Mid Day Meal and Skill training.
District Kulgam has been ranked 1st in Public Health Sector followed by districts of Samba & Jammu. This ranking in Public Health sector is due to impetus given to the indicators like IMR, MMR, Immunization, Institutional deliveries, Conversion of PHCs into Health and Wellness Centers, FRUs and Golden cards.
The districts of Ganderbal, Shopian and Srinagar are top performers in Public Infrastructure and Utilities sector with 1st, 2nd and 3rd ranks respectively, which reflects that these districts achieved targets of PMAY, safe drinking water and all weather roads under PMGSY.
District Jammu notched 1st rank under Social Welfare and Development sector followed by Kishtwar and Kathua districts. Better performance in indicators like employment provided under MGNAREGA, Atal Pension Yojana and PMSBY helped these districts to achieve top ranks in DGGI 5.0.
The districts of Reasi, Samba and Pulwama have been ranked 1st, 2nd and 3rd respectively in Financial Inclusion Sector. Increase in value of indicators like Jan Dhan Yojna, Mudra Loan Scheme and disbursement under self employment scheme helped them to achieve this position in DGGI 5.0.
The Udhampur, Anantnag and Jammu districts have been ranked 1st, 2nd and 3rd in Legal & Public Safety sector. The DGGI 5.0 shows that districts performed better in reducing frequency of crime against women, road accidents besides, achieving higher conviction rate.
District Ganderbal has been ranked 1st in Environment Sector while as districts of Shopian & Srinagar have secured 2nd & 3rd place respectively. These positions are based on performance of indicators like forest cover and water bodies and wet lands.
The Kulgam and Srinagar districts shared rank 1st in Citizen Centric Governance Sector, while as Pulwama & Baramulla got the rank of 2nd & 3rd. Noticeable performance of these districts is witnessed in grievance redressal and conversion of Government offices to e-office which helped them in achieving top-ranking in this sector under DGGI 5.0.
Stating that DGGI provides a roadmap for strengthening district-level administration through targeted interventions, the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who is also Minister Incharge Planning Department, said, “since its inception, districts have become more responsive in improving socioeconomic parameters”, adding “measuring their performance is vital for comparison, ranking and improvement, ensuring that governance reaches people and drives inclusive development”.
Expecting all districts to evaluate their performance, identify gaps and take corrective measures, the Chief Minister said, “by continuously refining and expanding the scope of these reports, the Government is demonstrating its commitment to establishing a transparent, accountable and efficient governance system that caters to the needs of its citizens and drives sustainable development in the region”.
He has also commended the efforts of the Planning, Development & Monitoring Department and Directorate of Economics & Statistics, J&K, for releasing this important report.
“The DGGI 5.0 presents an insight of the district administration governance delivery mechanism and presents an avenue to gear up weaker areas and find innovative procedures & processes to bridge the gaps in targeted deliverables in a time bound manner. Moreover, DGGI fosters healthy competition resulting in refinement of processes, innovation and finding avenues of hand holding which is ultimately beneficial to the society at large in establishing a vibrant and growing economy”, the report said.
To make DGGI more inclusive and comprehensive, additional indicators are being considered depending on the availability and suitability of indicators across the districts.
“The DGGI portal/dashboard is a crucial tool for computing indices and assessing governance performance. The roadmap entails improving the monthly portal/dashboard to make it more comprehensive and relevant. The annual DGGI is also being linked to the monthly DGG portal for consistent monitoring by the district administration for improving public service delivery mechanism”, the report further said.
The post DGGI 5.0 unveiled: Jammu district tops Governance Index, Kathua at bottom appeared first on Daily Excelsior.