MEGHALAYA: Shemlang Phawa, a farmer, was curious and excited when he heard about a scheme under which the Meghalaya government extends financial assistance of Rs 5,000 to each farmers producers’ group. However, he had no idea how he could avail the benefit. People around him as well as officials in the Agriculture department in his East Jaintia Hills district were equally clueless as it is a new scheme, implemented by the Meghalaya Basin Management Authority.
Language was also an issue as information available was in either English or Khasi and he is a Jaintia. Then, a podcast in Pnar (Jaintia) language came as a blessing. It had all the details about the scheme, including how one can become its beneficiary. Phawa had received it as an audio clip on a WhatsApp group, shared by the chieftain of his Jaliyah village.
The official podcasts, first of its kind by a district administration in Meghalaya and perhaps, in the country, are the brainchild of East Jaintia Hills District Magistrate Abhilash Baranwal. This 2018-batch IAS officer said that he had conceived the idea of taking the schemes to the villagers via podcasts after observing that many eligible villagers often get left out of government schemes due to the lack of information. Now, the district administration comes up with a scheme-specific podcast once every two weeks. The podcasts, in Pnar, help villagers understand the schemes and eligibility criteria.
“We observed that people knew about the government schemes but they had no idea how to apply, where to apply, what documents are needed. It was due to lack of adequate information. The podcasts are now providing them with the relevant information,” the DM said.
Through the podcast campaign launched in April this year, the administration explains the schemes and informs people what all it takes to become a beneficiary. “We talk about one scheme at a time and upload the audio of the podcast on our YouTube channel ‘DC East Jaintia Hills’, Facebook, Spotify etc and circulate it on WhatsApp. We also share it with All India Radio, heads of various departments, village chiefs and NGO leaders. The All India Radio broadcasts it every Sunday,” Baranwal said.
The duration of a podcast is 10-20 minutes. The team that makes the podcasts has three members – DM’s personal assistant Juhhi Nanghuloo, ADM Jonathan Shylla and podcast audio editor Roibok Pohrmen. Nanghuloo circulates the podcasts.