Rayagada launches 'Duare Prashasan' programme to deliver government services to tribal communities

Koraput: In an initiative aligned with the objectives of PM-Janman (Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan), the Rayagada administration on Friday launched the ‘Duare Prashasan’ (administration at doorstep) programme from Kurli panchayat on Niyamgiri hills.“The initiative aims to deliver govt services and welfare benefits to Dongria Kondh, a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG), households in remote and inaccessible hilly regions taking administration literally to the people’s doorsteps,” said Rayagada collector Ashutosh Kulkarni, under whose supervision the programme was launched.The programme began with the symbolic distribution of pensions directly to beneficiaries in Khambesi village.

The collector said that under the initiative, the administration has started doorstep delivery of pension benefits to beneficiaries of PVTG panchayats under Bissamkatak block.“This initiative is not merely about pension distribution. It is about governance with the people and for the people. It reflects our commitment to take govt services to the last mile and ensure that even the most remote citizen is not left behind,” said Kulkarni.

Officials said that while pensions under the National Social Assistance Programme are transferred directly to bank accounts of beneficiaries, those included under the Madhu Babu Pension Yojana (MBPY) have to collect their payments from the nearest gram panchayat. In difficult terrains like Niyamgiri, this often meant walking several miles through dense forests and hills. The new programme ensures that pensions reach beneficiaries at their homes.Bissamkatak BDO, Siba Patnaik, said that around 1,117 beneficiaries from four PVTG panchayats, including 520 from Kurli, 3 from Kurma (Kankubadi GP), 280 from Chanchadaguda, and 284 from Daliakuchi, will benefit from the initiative.Local sarpanch Subhardani Wadaka expressed gratitude to the district and block administrations for turning a long-pending demand into reality, calling it a lifeline for elderly and differently-abled people living in the hills. “The programme has brought renewed hope and enthusiasm to tribal communities living in the remote stretches of Niyamgiri hills,” said Wadaka.