Nexus of Good: An Initiative for Inclusion

The Centre and state governments are running multiple schemes to ensure the empowerment of people. However, there is no ready database on who is eligible and who has not received government benefits. This has led to a situation where beneficiary identification has become severely flawed. Eligible beneficiaries have not been identified, resulting in both inclusion and exclusion errors.

Despite the administration and government departments being aware of the eligible categories of beneficiaries, the absence of correct identification has prevented these schemes from having the desired impact.

It was in this context that the district administration of Salumbar launched a unique initiative, “Pahal,” meaning "initiative," to ensure proactive governance. Under this initiative, a house-to-house survey of every citizen of Salumbar was conducted via Google Forms by government employees. Following this exercise, all citizens were invited to pre-camps, where eligible people were identified and encouraged to apply online. The aim was to ensure that the maximum number of people received benefits sanctioned before the camps. This initiative has enabled the district administration to create a comprehensive database of all its citizens, detailing the government benefits they are receiving and those they are eligible for, thereby ensuring good governance.

Departments responsible for welfare schemes were first called for consultation. A list was created, detailing all possible government departments and their respective schemes.

The survey covered questions related to all central and state schemes. These ranged from digital penetration initiatives, such as Aadhaar and Jan Aadhaar card availability, to banking access, including bank account availability and benefits availed under PM Jeevan Suraksha Bima Yojana, PM Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana, and Atal Pension Yojana.

People were also asked about the penetration of agriculture-related schemes, such as the Kisan Credit Card, PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana, Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana, PM-KUSUM, and the National Horticulture Mission.

Additionally, citizens were surveyed on schemes under the labour department, including e-Shram, PM Shram Yogi Mandhan Yojana, and labour cards. They were also asked whether they had availed benefits under social security schemes such as pensions and Palanhar.

The aim of this entire exercise was to identify all those who were eligible but had not yet availed themselves of benefits under various government schemes. As mentioned earlier, eligible persons were encouraged to apply online to ensure that maximum benefits were sanctioned before the camps. This initiative has allowed the district administration to develop a detailed database of all its citizens, incorporating information on government benefits they are eligible for and those they are actually receiving, thereby improving governance.

Stakeholder coordination was also a crucial aspect of the initiative. Elected representatives were involved in the process, and massive IEC campaigns were launched to raise awareness about the covered programmes and the benefits to be availed.

One of the key strategies of the initiative was that it was a participative and collaborative exercise. This was carried out in a transparent and accountable manner. All citizens were contacted based on the available government database and invited to attend the camps organised for this purpose. Another key strategy was organising the camps at a central location where all government departments could come together to provide government benefits. An interesting aspect of this strategy is its replicability, as all these central government schemes are being implemented by the government everywhere.

In these camps, citizens were the focal point, and hence, panchayats were the most important stakeholders. Through collaborative exercises, panchayats and the general public were sensitised to the concept of citizens’ rights and entitlements under various schemes. District officers were put in charge of a few panchayats and were assigned the routine task of visiting these panchayats and motivating people.

The outcomes of this initiative have been extremely encouraging. A total of 23 schemes from various government departments were identified, and nearly 2 lakh government benefits have been provided. Additionally, 5,000 Aadhaar cards have been generated and updated, along with 4,228 Jan Aadhaar cards—an essential document for applications in Rajasthan. As a result of the initiative, 1,070 people have received new electricity connections, nearly 15,000 new bank accounts have been opened, and 47,276 new registrations have been completed under PM Jeevan Suraksha Bima Yojana. Furthermore, 26,660 new registrations have been made under PM Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana, while 7,520 new registrations have taken place under the Atal Pension Yojana. Nearly 13,000 benefits have been extended under various agriculture schemes, including PM-KISAN. Additionally, 2,984 pending land mutations have been resolved, and 8,442 new sanctions have been achieved under the PM Vishwakarma Yojana. Under the Shram Yogi Mandhan Yojana, 4,425 registrations have been completed, while 27,790 new registrations have been processed under e-Shram. The initiative has also resulted in the issuance of 7,802 new birth certificates and 1,528 marriage registrations.

This convergent action has ensured good governance at the grassroots level, enabling the last-mile delivery of various schemes of the Centre and State.

This initiative addresses a major issue affecting governance in many districts across the country. The lack of coordination among various departments and the absence of dialogue between different stakeholders have adversely impacted the implementation of several government schemes. Such a lack of coordination among implementing agencies has led to unnecessary duplication of efforts. Moreover, this approach enables beneficiaries to access benefits at a single location without having to run from pillar to post. Finally, by involving all stakeholders in the process, the initiative has gained widespread acceptance, as their views are heard and incorporated while delivering the benefits.

This simple yet effective approach, adopted in Salumbar District under the inspired leadership of its District Magistrate, Jasmeet Singh Siddhu, won the Nexus of Good Annual Award, 2024. This recognition highlights a model that can be easily replicated and scaled through public-private partnerships in other districts across the country. There is indeed much to learn from what has been achieved in this remote district of Rajasthan.

Views expressed are personal