Union cabinet secretary to chair meeting of 'Prabhari' officers tomorrow

NEW DELHI: With the Modi dispensation keen to accelerate development works in backward areas, cabinet secretary

P K Sinha

will chair on Friday the first meeting of the senior officials touted as

Prabhari

Officers given the responsibility of coordinating efforts of the Centre and the states to ensure rapid transformation of 115 backward districts across the country.

The meeting to be attended by Niti Aayog CEO

Amitabh Kant

, is aimed at pushing Modi government’s major policy initiative to speed up development of 115 districts which are lagging behind in social and economic indicators.

Senior government officials in the rank of additional secretary and joint secretary have been designated as Prabhari Officers or the ‘in-charge’ to coordinate efforts of the Centre and the states in addressing the specific developmental needs of these districts.

Among the 115 backward districts, 35 are affected by left wing violence. Soon after the meeting, which will be attended by home secretary, Prabhari officers will meet representatives of the state governments.

“The objective of the meet is to set up a dedicated team of central and state government to ensure faster development in the regions,” said an official.

He added, “Inclusive development and improving the liveability of all are integral part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision for a new and vibrant India by 2022.”

One of the initiatives to achieve the vision is to make a dramatic improvement in overall socio-economic development of backward districts. A senior official said that the strategy is aimed at adopting a focussed approach, ensuring convergence of efforts of the central, state and local government and establishing a real time monitoring mechanism to focus on outcomes that matter to common people in these districts.

These backward districts have been identified on the basis of objective criteria such as education, health, nutrition basic infrastructure like rural road connectivity, rural household electrification, access to potable water and individual toilets among others.