The second day of the national conference on district-level overall development in Patna saw participation from numerous senior administrators, policymakers, and experts from across the country. They shared their experiences on good governance and sustainable development. Discussions focused on increasing transparency, the effectiveness of direct benefit transfer, a comprehensive governance approach, and the widespread implementation of key welfare schemes.
District Magistrate of Patna, Thiagarajan S.M., presented an innovative model developed to address the problem of hearing loss in children. This initiative, leveraging the Anganwadi framework and departmental coordination, proved to be life-changing for many children without any additional budget expenditure.
Sharing experiences from Northeast India, Dr. Varnali Deka, Director of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Government of India, highlighted the ‘No One Left Behind’ initiative of the Nalbari district in Assam. Platforms like the ‘Udyam Gosthi’ fostered local entrepreneurship, giving a new direction to sustainable development in the district.
Namrata Vrishni, the District Magistrate of Bikaner, Rajasthan, discussed the challenges of the desert region and shared information on initiatives such as education in local languages, electrification, and smart TV systems at the Anganwadi level.
Presenting the rapid changes in Bihar’s sports landscape, Director (Sports) Mahendra Kumar stated that over 8,000 sports grounds have been developed in the state under MGNREGA. He highlighted Bihar as an emerging force in the sports sector through scholarships, talent identification, hosting international competitions, and infrastructure development.
The fifth session was chaired by Principal Secretary of the Sugarcane Industries Department, Government of Bihar, Narmadeshwar Lal. In this session, District Magistrate of Azamgarh, Ravindra Kumar, shared the success of welfare measures such as the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi and nutrition programs for women.
Prashasti Parekh, the District Magistrate of Aravalli district, Gujarat, detailed the successful outcomes of the coordination of schemes like PM-Jan Arogya Yojana, Poshan 2.0, Har Ghar Jal, Matru Vandana Yojana, and PM Awas Yojana.
Yashpal Meena, former District Magistrate of Vaishali, shared his experience of how transparency and accountability were strengthened at the village level through the ‘Apna Panchayat, Apna Prashasan’ initiative.
Shubha Kalyana, the District Magistrate of Tumakuru district, Karnataka, shared experiences such as strengthening maternal and child health services to promote institutional deliveries and empowering digital payments for women.
All these experiences made it clear that district-level leadership, when supported by state and central policies, can make development people-centric and effective.