₹353 crore spent on Back to Village Programme across J&K; Govt to continue flagship rural outreach initiative

Jammu, April 8: An expenditure of ₹353.42 crore has been incurred on the conduct of five phases of the Back to Village (B2V) Programme in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir since its inception in 2019. The ambitious governance initiative has significantly strengthened the rural development framework, enhanced grassroots-level outreach, and facilitated the resolution of thousands of public grievances that might otherwise have remained unnoticed.

This information was disclosed by the Minister Incharge for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj in a written reply to a question raised by BJP MLA Ranbir Singh Pathania in the Legislative Assembly.

“The Back to Village Programme has been conducted in five phases so far, and a total of ₹35,342.92 lakh has been spent across all districts of the UT,” the Minister said, adding that the programme will be continued in future due to its substantial impact in bridging the gap between the administration and the people.

The district-wise expenditure highlights the widespread implementation of the programme: ₹2,369 lakh in Doda, ₹2,432 lakh in Kathua, ₹1,417 lakh in Kishtwar, ₹1,842 lakh in Udhampur, ₹1,893 lakh in Poonch, ₹2,730 lakh in Rajouri, ₹942 lakh in Reasi, ₹1,040 lakh in Ramban, ₹1,270 lakh in Samba, ₹2,828 lakh in Jammu, ₹2,568 lakh in Anantnag, ₹2,326 lakh in Budgam, ₹877 lakh in Bandipora, ₹2,935 lakh in Baramulla, ₹936 lakh in Ganderbal, ₹1,469 lakh in Kulgam, ₹2,722 lakh in Kupwara, ₹1,603 lakh in Pulwama, ₹955 lakh in Shopian, and ₹178 lakh in Srinagar.

The five phases were rolled out with specific objectives:

• • Phase I (June 20–27, 2019): Focused on energizing Panchayats and collecting grassroots feedback through over 4,000 Gazetted Officers visiting every Panchayat.

  • Phase II (Nov 25–30, 2019): Emphasized devolution of powers to Panchayats and assessing their functionality.

  • Phase III (Oct 2–12, 2020): Targeted grievance redressal and saturation of employment and welfare schemes.

  • Phase IV (Oct 15–Nov 3, 2021): Continued follow-up on previous commitments and projects.

  • Phase V (Nov 7–16, 2023): Focused on service saturation and building lasting administrative connections with rural communities.

The Minister asserted that the B2V initiative has achieved remarkable success in development execution across the UT. Several districts have reported impressive progress with Bandipora achieving 98.84% project execution, Srinagar 95.12%, Ganderbal 94.25%, Budgam 91.09%, Kathua 91%, Kupwara 82.20%, Shopian 83.96%, Pulwama 86.27%, and Samba 88%.

This momentum in execution reflects a well-coordinated effort of administrative oversight, community engagement, and performance-based delivery of developmental schemes. Regular verification by district authorities and Back to Village Observers has ensured transparency and accountability. The Local Fund Audit Office and Principal Accountant General of J&K have also carried out audits and verification in multiple districts and blocks.

Looking ahead, the government plans to refine the programme further based on feedback received during these visits. The roadmap aims to make the initiative more responsive, effective, and aligned with local developmental needs.

Importantly, the Minister added that thousands of public complaints, including minor issues often overlooked in conventional governance setups, were addressed during B2V interactions—proving the programme’s value as a direct interface between citizens and administration.