Dr. Avnish Jolly, Chandigarh 31st October, 2008 :Mr. Manpreet Singh Badal , Finance Minister Punjab today gave a call to all the Non Government Organizations( NGOs) and Voluntary Organizations (VOs) to come forward in getting the programmes and policies of the state government effectively implemented at the grass root levels.
NGOs in governance were emerging as there was greater realization to introduce community participation in various new areas of governance such as community policing, alternate dispute management, probity & transparency, performance report cards etc. apart from new partnership that was already in the process of being forged in terms of community participation for water supply & sanitation, forestry, education, watershed management, panchayati raj, urban governance and rural development, said the minister.
Mr. Badal was speaking at the inauguration of a conference on Prospects of Participatory Management in Governance through Voluntary Organization in Punjab organized by the Mahatma Gandhi State Institute of Public Administration Punjab here today. Appreciating the role of voluntary organizations and non government organizations, Mr. Badal addressed them as the Unsung Heroes who were constantly at work behind the screen. He said that public participation was the need of an hour and thus the state government has an open mind towards the NGOs and VOs and certainly wants their active participation. He also advised them to rise above the political considerations in discharging their duties in the larger public interest. Reiterating his government’s resolve in providing free, fair and transparent governance, Mr. Badal said that the Centre for Participatory Management & Voluntary Organizations (CPMVO) set up by Mahatma Gandhi State Institute of Public Administration would help in developing a framework for involvement of NGOs in participatory management and dissemination of good practices for wider sharing and replication.
Mr. Ramesh Inder Singh, Chief Secretary Punjab while delivering the valedictory address, said that the Non- Government organizations represented the constructive potential of the civil society and could contribute a great deal in all spheres of modern governance. Most of the programmes launched by the Government of India for social and economic development now envisaged partnership with the NGOs. NGO movement was undergoing expansion and transformation at unprecedented scale, said the Chief Secretary.
Mr. B.K.Srivastava, Director General MGSIPA while addressing the delegates said that this was perhaps the first endeavor of the CPMVO in pursuance of the new plan scheme approved by the Punjab government to promote participation, participatory management in governance through involvement of the civil society in general and the NGOs in particular. He said that this centre was set up primarily to promote participatory management in governance and to accredit and recognize NGOs of Punjab. He emphasized the need to promote creation of NGOs in non-tradition areas and to design modules for participatory management in various spheres of governance.
Panel discussions were held wherein the NGOs interacted with the heads of grant giving departments such as Planning, Rural Development and Panchayats, School Education, Health, Social Security, Women and Child Development, Local Government and Urban Development, Water Supply and Sanitation and Forests & Wild Life. Mr. P.H.Vaishnav Former Chief Secretary Punjab and Chairman SOSVA, Chandigarh was invited to initiate discussions on behalf of participating NGOs. Mr. Satish Chandra Secretary Planning chaired the panel discussion. The delegates and representing various NGOs were divided into 7 groups and each group was given topics for discussion.