What is the full form of BDO?

Introduction

The Block Development Office (BDO) is part of the district administration. It consists of a Block Development Officer who looks after the administration at the block level. From implementing various rural development policies to creating strong connections among the village level to the Zila level and the District level, the BDO plays very important roles.

Definition and Function of BDO

Block is a division of development administration created by the state government for rural areas. The representative who is in charge of the block is the Block Development Officer. The execution of all policies relating to the welfare and development of the regional blocks is monitored by block development officers. A Chief Development Officer oversees the creation and execution of plans throughout all district blocks (CDO). The Block Development Officer's job is to oversee, supervise, direct, and deliver awareness programmes to rural residents that are deemed necessary from time to time by the central and state government.

Role of BDO in Rural Development

Different issues are recognised through administrative channels, and the Block Development Officer makes decisions on them. If the matter is beyond the scope of the Head of Office, the Secretary, the Chief Executive Officer, and the District Panchayat make the decision. Some important role are −

• The Extension Officer oversees the work of the Panchayat Secretary of the village, the Gram sevika, and the Gram sevak, while the BDO is responsible for overall office activities.

• The Executive Officer is responsible for exercising general supervision over all Panchayat Samiti officers and staff, and he or she has the authority to discipline them in ways other than dismissal, removal, or reducing their rank.

• The Panchayat Samiti's records must remain under the care of the Executive Officer.

• The pass granted to the Panchayat Samiti by the Treasury or Bank must be periodically examined by the Executive Officer, who is also required to sign the cash book.

• The Executive Officer will typically handle all correspondence on behalf of the Panchayat Samiti.

• The Executive Officer is in charge of ensuring that all things pertaining to implementing schemes approved by the Panchayat Samiti are coordinated among the Block level Officers.

Programs and Initiatives managed by BDO

After researching and evaluating the needs of the region, the BDO must prepare several rural development programmes while keeping a check on the available resources. To ensure that the programmes are carried out successfully and in accordance with his objectives, he must pool different resources in the area of the programme before their implementation.

Various rural development programmes that should be implemented include −

• Program related to water supply

• the food-for-work programme

• Programme related to the health of the public

• Various irrigation programme

• Programmes related to Development of agriculture

• Programmes related to primary school education

• animal husbandry

• rural employment

• Development of rural industries, etc.

Because of various modifications The Block Development Officer's involvement in the implementation of special programmes like Integrated Rural Development (IRDP), Drought Prone Area Programme (DPAP), Jawahar Rozgar Yojna (JRY), etc., becomes increasingly significant with increased responsibilities in rural development strategies.

Other responsibilities include facilitating coordination between the administration at the block level, district level, and other officers related to the area. The BDO also has the responsibility of creating and maintaining connections among the Zilla Parishad, Taluka Panchayat, and Village Panchayats.

It also plays an important role in organising, motivating, leading, and training. Some of these duties are −

• Assisting the staff in identifying and developing leadership in the villages

• Arranging meetings from time to time for staff members

• Organising the villagers for work on development projects

• Providing guidance to village-level officials like village health workers, primary school teachers, and Gramsevaks as well as extension employees.

• Promoting teamwork among the employees working in the block by properly motivating them

• Informing the public about the block's operations

• Giving training to field employees

• Taking care of the block's general administration

• Giving regular updates and reports to the district's upper management

• supporting the elected officials in their job.

Challenges and opportunities for BDO

The BDOs encounter numerous challenges when implementing rural development programmes, including bank connection, network access, and road connectivity, adoption of new technologies.

Conclusion

The government's primary operational arm for both regulatory and development administration is the BDO. As a representative of the government at the block level, one of the important responsibilities of the Block Development Officer is to provide both vertical and horizontal coordination for facilitating the process of formulating, implementing, monitoring, and supervising the development programmes at the block level.

FAQs

Q1. Mention two functions of the Executive Officer.

Ans: The Executive Officer is in charge of the Panchayat Samiti's accounting and their accurate upkeep. The Executive Officer of the Panchayat Samiti is in charge of carrying out the appropriate actions in response to the decisions made in the Panchayat Samiti meetings.

Q2. Mention two functions of the BDO.

Ans: Ensuring cooperation between the block's numerous technical functionaries, facilitating coordination among them, and lending resources to institutions, and other organizations engaged directly or indirectly in rural development activities are two functions of the BDO.

Q3. How is the Panchayat Samiti related to the BDO?

Ans: The Panchayat Samiti office, as well as the staff members hired upon the organization of the Panchayat Samiti, are under the administrative administration and supervision of the Executive Officer.