SAMBA: In a significant move to strengthen grassroots governance and fast-track local development in line with national priorities, the Department of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj (RD&PR), Jammu & Kashmir conducted a one-day district-level workshop on the Panchayat Advancement Index (PAI) in Samba.

Presided over by Deputy Commissioner, Samba Rajesh Sharma, the workshop aimed to sensitize and train government officers on the crucial role of PAI in assessing and accelerating development at the village level.

The event saw participation from Assistant Commissioner Panchayat (ACP) Samba, N.D. Verma, officials from the RD&PR Department and representatives from key line departments involved in rural development.

The workshop's central theme was translating global goals into actionable strategies at the local level.

Thematic Expert at the District Panchayat Resource Centre, Nida Rafiq led an intensive training session that explored the PAI as a dynamic evaluation tool designed to measure the multidimensional progress of Gram Panchayats across nine themes aligned with the Localized Sustainable Development Goals (LSDGs).

These include vital areas such as "Poverty Free and Enhanced Livelihoods," "Healthy Panchayat," "Clean and Green Panchayat," and "Good Governance."

Participants were introduced to the findings of the PAI 1.0 (FY 22-23), with report cards now accessible to the public via the official PAI portal (www.pai.gov.in).

The session also spotlighted the upcoming PAI 2.0, which features significant enhancements aimed at improving data accuracy and usability.

These improvements include rationalized indicators for better clarity, integrated data collection forms with in-built validation checks, auto-ported data from relevant line departments to ease the burden on Panchayats, and a stringent multi-tier validation process covering every level from Gram Panchayat to the national level.

The workshop placed strong emphasis on the practical applications of PAI data. Officials were trained on how to use PAI scores to formulate evidence-based Gram Panchayat Development Plans (GPDP), select Panchayats for the 'Sankalp' initiative via the 'Nirnay' portal, evaluate eligibility for the National Panchayat Awards and implement targeted interventions to achieve LSDG saturation.

The importance of institutional frameworks for PAI 2.0's success was also highlighted, including the formation and activation of State Level Steering Committees (SLSC), District Data Validation Teams (DDVT) and validation systems at the Block level.

The department is organising a series of district-level workshops aimed at sensitizing officials about the Panchayat Advancement Index (PAI) and its critical link to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).