CM Janseva Mitra In Madhya Pradesh: How A Youth Internship Scheme Is Emerging As Pivotal To Improved Last-mile Delivery Of Welfare Schemes

In a significant development aimed at further improving his government's last-mile delivery of various welfare schemes, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has unveiled his plans to augment the Mukhyamantri Jan Seva Mitra workforce across the state.

Under the Jan Seva Mitra (Chief Minister Youth Internship) programme, the MP government appoints 15 interns (known as Mukhyamantri Jan Seva Mitra) in each block of the 52 districts across the state to support the state in last-mile delivery and ensure saturation coverage of schemes. Each intern will be paid a stipend of Rs 8,000 per month during the internship period.

Building on the scheme's success in helping the government machinery in welfare delivery, CM Chauhan plans to deploy one dedicated Jan Seva Mitra for every 50 families in the state.

Given that CM Chouhan views the program as critical to improving the last-mile delivery of his signature welfare scheme, the number of Jan Seva Mitras is set to reach 300,000 across the state.

 "The scheme's expansion is strategically designed to enhance the precision and effectiveness of delivering government initiatives to the masses", an official in the Chief Minister's office told Swarajya.

Under the internship scheme, Jan Seva Mitras are tasked with the responsibility to reach every doorstep to ensure that essential resources like ration, Aadhar linkage, direct benefit transfer(DBT) etc., are accessed by marginalised and vulnerable sections of society, which they may have been unable to access otherwise.

 In the past six months, the Jan Seva Mitras have reached and established a presence in over 16,000 panchayats.

 During this period, they have connected with nearly 2.1 million women as part of the beneficiary survey for Ladli Behna Yojana while assisting in updating the E-KYC details of these women.

Additionally, the Jan seva Mitras have aided in processing applications for over 580,000 women for Ladli Behna Yojana. Close to 1.1 million women have been included in the application process for the scheme.

 "Taking into account the government's aim of improving grassroots democratic practices, the Jan Seva Mitras played a crucial role in organising special Gram Sabhas while focusing on the participation of women and the ST-SC community in the same." a senior BJP functionary told Swarajya.

CM Chouhan recently addressed the Janseva Mitras at the Mukhyamantri Janseva Mitra Boot Camp Batch-2 at Lal Parade Ground.

This bridge, he added, serves as a conduit for the seamless dissemination of the multiple benefits offered by an array of schemes.

 Emphasising a compassionate outreach approach, CM Chouhan elucidated that the Jan Seva Mitras would extend their services beyond the confines of ration and healthcare provision. He called the Jan Seva Mitras to adopt a comprehensive approach of targeting family well-being and guaranteeing assistance from healthcare support to the efficient disbursement of governmental scheme benefits.

"This holistic approach shall bear fruits for both the citizens and the youthful participants as an avenue to learn administrative intricacies, coupled with a monthly stipend, will invariably contribute to the holistic development of these young professionals." CM Chauhan said.

"The initiative transcends the boundaries of being a mere governmental occupation; it is a dynamic platform designed to extend unwavering support to the populace." the CM added.

CM Chouhan lauded the state's commendable progress across diverse domains while highlighting noteworthy initiatives, such as hygiene campaigns, water conservation drives, afforestation initiatives, and the pioneering "Beti Bachao, Beti padhao" movement.

CM Chouhan also pointed out the dismal legacy he inherited due to years of bad governance and how the state has been transformed during his stewardship. "At one time, the roads in Madhya Pradesh were terrible. There was very little electricity. There was no arrangement for drinking water and irrigation. Madhya Pradesh was called a Bimaru State", the CM pointed out.

"Today, the state per capita income has increased from Rs 11 thousand to Rs one lakh 40 thousand. The production of electricity has increased from 2900 MW to 28 thousand MW. Irrigation has been arranged in about 47 lakh hectare area. The condition of the roads has improved. The budget of the state has also increased." the CM said.

"The Jan Seva Mitra program expansion resonates with Madhya Pradesh's paradigm shift towards inclusive development. The state is steadfastly embracing a participatory model that actively engages its citizenry in governance." the CM said

 "Madhya Pradesh has pioneered many exemplary good governance practices, especially initiatives like the Chief Minister's Jan Seva Mitra. This has helped  build good state capacity especially in delivering welfare scheme. CM Chauhan's success in large measures owes to his ability to conceptualise and deliver a slew of welfare schemes for the state." a Bhopal-based political observer told Swarajya.

 With the expansion of the Jan Seva Mitra network, the Madhya Pradesh government has set its sights on bringing the multitude of benefits from its diverse schemes closer to the people.