The Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department would carry out a survey in the three most backward blocks in the district to identify the reasons for the underdevelopment of the areas and design a plan to alleviate poverty of the people.
The survey would kick-start in the second week of August this year in Kandhili, Timiri and Alangayam blocks, which were classified as the most backward blocks in Vellore district, based on the parameters of health, education, poverty level and industrial backwardness.
Vellore is one of the six districts selected under the State Balanced Growth Fund (SBGF) in the State, to cover the most backward blocks and to achieve holistic development. Director of State Institute of Rural Development T R Vedanayagam and collector P Sankar convened a meeting at the Collectorate on Thursday to sensitise the officials regarding the project. Initially, Kandhili would be covered under SBGF.
The questionnaire-based survey would aim at unravelling the complexities of the underdevelopment of inhabitants in each panchayat in these blocks. It will also aim at finding ways and means to improve the delivering system of the government welfare and development schemes.
A team of five to six persons from different walks of life would be roped in to carry out the survey. The team would be headed by the deputy block development officer (BDO) of the respective blocks.
“We will engage sociology students with anganwadi workers, an NGO’s representative and secretary of the respective village panchayat in the survey. Teams will survey every hamlet and village in these blocks,” said district planning officer M Annamalai. The VIT University’s Centre for Rural Development and Sustainable Research Study would assist us in the survey, he noted.
The villagers would be asked to assemble in a place and the survey team will pose the questions related to existing schemes implemented by the 22 departments, from agriculture to health. The villagers’ responses and suggestions would be noted.
The data gathered in the survey would be collected and analysed. “We will have a meeting with district level officers and derive a plan and project report. It will be sent to the Planning Commission, Government of Tamil Nadu and other departments to get funds to achieve development of the block,” Annamalai said.
Collector Sankar said they were contemplating establishing industries for which raw materials were locally available. Issues like child and minor marriage, which are widely prevelant in the area, would be addressed through awareness programmes.