Through night halts, Jalna collector pledges to take governance to villagers’ doorstep

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Jalna collector Ashima Mittal has begun staying overnight in villages to engage directly with rural residents, understand their concerns and resolve long-pending issues on the spot in an effort to make governance more accessible and responsive.Under the initiative, Mittal plans to spend nights in villages at least once or twice a month. After her first visit in May, she made her second overnight halt on June 22 at Mardi village in Ambad tehsil, where she held a detailed public interaction, reviewed govt facilities and addressed several grievances.Mittal said such surprise visits prevented pre-arranged presentations that might not reflect actual conditions.

“When officials know in advance, a rosy picture is often presented. Staying overnight in a village, usually at a farmer’s house, gives us an opportunity to witness real challenges faced by people and take corrective steps,” she said, adding that the approach is in line with chief secretary Rajesh Agrawal’s push for field engagement.These visits are often planned just three to four hours in advance, keeping govt officials across departments on alert.

Accompanied by her two-year-old child during these visits, Mittal said, “The presence of her child helps women in villages connect with her more easily.” Alongside grievance redressal, she also spreads awareness about govt welfare schemes, helping residents understand how to access them.

Mittal has also been engaging with students during school visits, teaching mathematics and English herself. During inspections of anganwadis, schools, ration shops, Maha e-Seva centres and gram panchayat offices, she identified discrepancies and ordered inquiries to ensure better delivery of services.The initiative has already yielded outcomes. During her first overnight stay at Kadwanchi village on May 27, illicit liquor sales were uncovered at three locations, leading to FIRs against each operator. Another key achievement was the resolution of a long-standing dispute over a community hall meant for a women’s group. After complaints that the hall was under illegal occupation by a former sarpanch, Mittal inspected the site and ensured that it was handed over to the women’s organisation.She also used her visit to advise farmers to shift towards low-water, high-value crops, considering possible deficient rainfall due to El Nino conditions. Villagers said her presence made governance more transparent, responsive and accountable at the grassroots level.