NITI Aayog in collaboration with the Jammu & Kashmir Government organized a daylong workshop in Srinagar today with the Civil Society Organizations, CSOs from the state to strengthen partnership between the service delivery CSOs and the government.

The workshop was attended by the Advisor to the Governor Shri Khurshid Ganai, who delivered the inaugural address and Shri B.B. Vyas, Advisor to the Governor, delivered the valedictory address along with more than 160 participants ranging from various officers of the State government, over 60 CSOs operating in the J&K region, to officers from the NITI Aayog and 14 central ministries, and Pan India CSOs.

Senior officers from the NITI Aayog stated that despite challenges, Jammu & Kashmir Government has undertaken various initiatives that have led to strong performance in Health outcomes. Contrary to perceptions, the economic indicators are moving favourably. Nevertheless, there are certain challenges in many sectors like in the field of education that requires a synergistic focus on the Centre, State Governments and Civil Services societies. 

Member Coordinator of NITI-CSO committee, Amod Kanth emphasized the need to build on a collaborative approach between the government and the CSOs. He stated that  a Joint Action Plan be prepared that outlines meaningful participation of CSOs per thematic areas of Women Empowerment, Child Welfare and Health, Senior Citizens, Welfare of the differently abled, Children in Conflict with Law, and Youth Engagement.

Advisor to the Governor, Khurshid Ganai in his key note address, welcomed the first of its kind initiative of the NITI Aayog-CSO committee and the State Government. He stated that a concerted effort needs to be made for capacity building of CSOs, and a nodal department in the J&K be created to serve as a mechanism to sort out issues such as delay in processing of projects, among others, of the CSOs. 

The CSOs were divided in six thematic groups, along with representatives from the state government and the central government. Each group made a presentation detailing action points for the stakeholder towards building a more inclusive approach for socio-economic development in the state of J&K. The conference evolved strategy to forge deeper and constructive ties between the Government organisation and the Civil Services Organisations for improving delivery services to common people.

Civil society partnership to prepare a Joint Action Plan and establish a nodal department for improved service delivery. The workshop promoted a structured, thematic engagement between government and CSOs to improve service delivery, organising participants into six groups addressing Women Empowerment, Child Welfare and Health, Senior Citizens, Disability Welfare, Children in Conflict with Law, and Youth Engagement; it emphasised capacity building for CSOs, creation of a nodal department in J&K to resolve implementation delays, and preparation of a Joint Action Plan delineating CSO participation and concrete action points.