RAICHUR: An independent organisation will undertake a survey to generate data to help NITI Aayog under Transformation of Aspirational districts programme at the district-level. As many as 117 backward districts were identified by the NITI Aayog from across the country to invigorate the plight of these districts and Raichur is one among them.
Apart from various government bodies collecting data on health and nutrition, education, agriculture and water resource, financial inclusion, skill development and basic infrastructure, an independent organisation has been identified to collect data on gaps hindering development, under these segments. It must be noted that in a document released in June, Raichur topped among districts improving under health and nutrition, while its performance was poor in basic infrastructure section.
The name of the independent organisation was kept secret as of now to maintain impartiality in working and collection of data as the NITI Aayog wants non-partisan and transparent data. However, the independent organisation was assigned this by the Tata Trust, which is the partner of government of India for this programme.
Speaking to Express, Raichur Deputy Commissioner Gautam Bagadi said: “I myself do not know which organisation is working in this connection. The basic aim of the NITI Aayog is to have a data other than what is provided by the government.” The Aayog wants independent data to be collected from the ground. This will happen in all the aspirational districts across the country.
A person who is part of an independent organisation said he won’t be able to name the organisation as NITI Aayog has strictly instructed to maintain secrecy. He said survey will be conducted on health, education and other indicators prescribed by the NITI Aayog. The survey will focus on gaps existing in these areas that are hampering the development.
He said: “The working nature of NITI Aayog is spellbinding and if all goes well as it has been planned, these districts will see great transformation. The Aayog wants to closely work with the community at the ground level in a unique way”. For a question on when survey would start, he said he wish not to reveal the date, but it will commence soon.
CEO to attend NITI Aayog workshop
ZP CEO Nalini Atul said he will be attending a workshop on malnutrition organised by the NITI Aayog on August 6 at Mussoorie in Uttarakhand. “This work is more of learning for us to understand better on malnutrition,” he said.
Talking on basic infrastructure, he said using Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) and Hyderabad-Karnataka Region Development Board funds, Anganwadi centres will be built and improved in rural areas. This will give a boast to basic infrastructure and help in elimination of malnutrition.