Gwalior commissioner’s initiative : ‘Bringing harmony’ among rural people through making dispute free villages

BHOPAL / In a bid to bring harmony among villagers and make villages dispute-free, the divisional commissioner Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh, Ashish Saxena who holds an additional charge of Chambal-division has taken an initiative, ‘Samjhauta Se Samadhan’ (disposal through compromise) in rural areas.

The initiative was launched in November last year, is a joint effort of the administration, police, and judiciary as a way to get rid of small disputes among the villagers.

Quarrelling over trivial matters is a common phenomenon in the Chambal region, these small disputes over agricultural fields, barns, homes, and courtyards sometimes become a prestige issue among the villagers and turn into big criminal cases. Some matters have even now been going on in the civil and judicial courts for many generations.

“Bringing harmony among the villagers and becoming villages ideal are the main aims behind the initiative. Besides, It is also an effort as a measure to reduce the work pressure on administration, police and judiciary,” Ashish Saxena, divisional commissioner Gwalior told The Sun Today. More than 2000 such cases have been disposed of and around 50 villages made dispute free in both the divisions, the commissioner said.

Ashish Saxena, divisional commissioner Gwalior.

“In seeing the success of the initiative, we are planning to introduce it also into the urban areas,” he added.

Around 1788 ‘beat settlement centers’ have been set up at the CSCs (common service centers) in village Panchayats of Gwalior, Shivpuri, Guna, Ashoknagar, Datia, Bhind, Morena and Sheopur districts of both the divisions.

A team of patwari(head of the team), police constable and kotwar has been set up at the panchayat level. The list of such cases is provided by the related RCMS(revenue case management system) and the judicial courts to the team. The team informs the parties of both sides to present at the CSC. The hearing of the cases is held every Tuesday from 11 am to 1 pm at CSC’s in which divisional commissioner, collector, SDM, Tehsildar and station house officer attend virtually or sometimes physically. These officers persuade the parties by telling them about the disadvantages and benefits in both situations to settle the case. The parties get agreed to make a compromise on the assurance given by the higher-ranked officers. The documents of compromise are uploaded on the RCMS portal by the CSC staff and submitted before the related courts to dispose of the case.

“The initiative is being become a boon for the villagers as it is creating a harmonious atmosphere in the villages and disputes which had been running for years are disposing of. Now people are coming forward together to focus on developing their villages instead of going about the courts’ doorstep,” SDM Shivpuri, Ganesh Jaiswal said,” SDM Shivpuri, Ganesh Jaiswal said.