Mehsana District Panchayat on 1 July launched what it describes as Gujarat's first 'District Panchayat at Your Doorstep' programme, an initiative designed to bring district-level administration directly to villages and spare rural residents the burden of travelling to the district headquarters to resolve civic grievances.

How the Programme Was Launched

The inaugural event was held at Annapurna Bhavan in Bahucharaji, under the auspices of the renowned Shaktipeeth at Bahucharaji, and was presided over by Mehsana District Panchayat President Nitin Patel. A large number of residents from Bahucharaji and surrounding villages attended the first public hearing, raising a wide range of pending civic and public welfare concerns directly before senior officials.

Grievances tabled at the hearing spanned roads, drinking water supply, borewell construction, the irregular presence of village revenue officials — known as Talatis — at gram panchayats, and the need for new gram panchayat buildings.

Key Grievances Raised by Residents

Several infrastructure gaps dominated the proceedings. Residents sought completion of a 200-metre stretch of road on the Shankhalpur-Kalari bypass, stalled due to a canal obstruction. Demands were also raised for reconstruction and widening of the damaged road from Dodiwada-Adivada to Khambhel Chokdi, as well as early completion of the pending Kanoda-Ranela road project.

Other representations included the appointment of a permanent Talati in Ranela Gram Panchayat, construction of a new gram panchayat building, development of the Akba-Bariyaf road, a new borewell in Saduthala village, and restoration of State Transport bus services suspended for a prolonged period following construction of the Ratej-Rajpura-Dethli railway underpass.

What the Administration Said

Patel heard each representation on the spot and sought on-record explanations from officials of the concerned departments who were present at the venue. He directed officials to resolve grievances within prescribed time frames and ensure citizens face no unnecessary inconvenience during the process.

Explaining the programme's design, Patel said: 'The main objective of this programme is to ensure that administrative services reach the last person with ease and that local issues are resolved at the local level itself. To make this process more transparent and effective, a separate master register will be maintained by the Chitnishs in every taluka, in which all representations will be recorded and followed up.'

He added that 'the district administration will review these issues every month, and matters falling under the jurisdiction of the state government will be taken up at the higher level to ensure their early resolution.'

Welfare Certificates Distributed

Alongside the grievance hearing, beneficiaries received certificates under several government welfare schemes, including Ayushman Cards, income certificates, and caste certificates — extending the programme's reach beyond infrastructure into social entitlements.

Who Attended

The programme was attended by MLA Sukhaji Thakor, former minister Rajni Patel, District Development Officer Anchu Wilson, local leaders Kamlesh Desai and Devang Pandya, and senior officials from the district and taluka panchayats. The turnout of elected representatives and bureaucrats signals political and administrative backing for the initiative at multiple levels.

If sustained, the programme could serve as a replicable model for other Gujarat districts seeking to decentralise grievance redressal and reduce the friction between rural citizens and district administration.