Transforming five villages in the mountaneous Sikkim region into `model villages’ is no mean task. And more so, when it’s done by an IAS officer who was born and brought up hundreds of kilometres away, in sun-baked village on the outskirts of Jaipur in Rajasthan.
Mr Rajav Yadav is the inspiring IAS officer who has left no stone unturned in his endeavour to ensure all round development in the state of Sikkim. His innovative `DAAV’or the ‘District Administration’s Adopted Village’ scheme has kick started a series of growth reforms which have positively transformed 5 villages and 7500 lives.
An IAS officer of 2009 batch, Mr Raj Yadav is a resident of Loharwara village which is 30 kilometres away from Rajasthan’s capital Jaipur He graduated in Bachelors in Science from Maharaja College, Jaipur and has a post graduation degree in Public Administration. His contribution in Sikkim’s administration has led to the state’s growth in multiple arenas.
This `Daav’ is No Gamble
Mr Raj Yadav’s most exemplary scheme till date- ‘DAAV initiative’- began when he was appointed as the District Magistrate in Sikkim in 2014. In accordance with the initiative, the district administration adopts a remote village and takes up full responsibility for its development. Until now, under IAS Raj Yadav’s supervision, the administration has adopted and successfully reformed five villages.
The process started with the adoption of Rongbul village, wherein the administration enforced various reforms in agriculture, land revenue, roads, bridges and human resources. The villagers provided manpower and financial aid wherever required. A primary health centre, along with the local schools, was overhauled. Locals assisted with development and maintenance of infrastructure. Community integration, which is imperative for any development to take place, also increased. Mid-day meal was improved and to ensure all round learning, smart class as a means of visual aid was brought in as well. Moreover, children effectively undertook the task of school beautification.
With his novel methods, Mr Yada and his team-members, successfully turned the Gram Panchayat Unit (GPU) of Rongbul into a model village. Following this feat, similar reforms were undertaken in the four villages of Lingi Paiyong, Tinik Chisopani, Mamley Kamrang and Sanganath as well. Today, these too are Sikkim’s model villages.
`Can’t Take Decisions on Rumours’
Speaking with Indian Masterminds, Mr Raj Yadav said, “You cannot sit in an office, create policies and take decisions on rumours. To start the process of growth it is imperative to go on the field, interact with villagers, learn about their problems, devise solutions after discussing with them and finally, work towards the execution. Limited funds and time cannot be considered as an excuse if you integrate the community in your efforts towards development. The focus has, since many years, been on the creation of smart cities when it is our villages that require growth the most. Our villages need basic facilities, which they currently lack.
“The children still depend on government schools, because many families cannot afford private schools. It is only when we empower them with good infrastructure and educational institutions that tomorrow a young boy or girl in a remote village in India will strive to become a civil servant. We have to change the obsolete ways and build a people-friendly administration.”
Mr Yadav’s remarkable feat showcases his love for the community and his intrepid efforts to achieve his goal of reforming remote villages.
Feathers in Mr Yadav’s Cap
At present, Mr Yadav is the Deputy Commissioner of Gangtok. Apart from his remarkable DAAV scheme, he has initiated several other successful projects. For instance, Each Friday Field Day (EFFD) is an amazing initiative started by him. It’s often the case that that due to surfeit of office work, civil service officials are unable to do much field visits. EFFD method aims to contribute in many ways to the comprehensive development of the rural areas. Under this scheme, the District Commissioner and other officials of the Sikkim Government are empowered to solve the issues instantaneously during their field visits.
`Mission Jyoti’, another initiative started with the supervision of Mr Yadav, includes programs that help in generating awareness regarding child sexual abuse and drug abuse. Furthermore, ‘Each Saturday Counselling Day’ is a social initiative which works towards providing counselling to students of schools and colleges on every Saturday, regarding competitive exams in the field of public administration.
For his laudable achievements, Mr Yadav has been facilitated by many organisations. He was honoured with the Best District Collector Award 2015 for overall achievements, and Best District Collector Award 2017 for his DAAV scheme. In 2016, he was conferred with the Best Sachita Award 2016 for ‘Each Friday Field Day .
As Mr Yadav told Indian Masterminds, “Don’t let your background hold you back from being the real you. One should serve the people, state and nation responsibly and happily. Let’s try to overcome all fears of failure.”
Undoubtedly, Mr Yadav has set a marvellous example for the current and aspiring civil servants.
