DC, Jamtara

District Collector of Jamtara

 A new positive culture is shaping up in Jamtara: DC Faiz Aquil Ahmed Mumtaz

Jamtara has got a new and positive identity under your leadership as its District Collector. Notorious for cyber-crimes and visionless youth, now Jamtara is undergoing a holistic transformation. What is your take?
Jamtara has come a long way in a short period of time, a new, positive culture is taking shape here. Though too early to say where it will finally reach, the kind of response we are receiving, I believe, we are on the right course.

How have you come up with the idea of community libraries?
I realized that a large number of students, especially girls, were choosing to dropout after completing the schooling available nearby and also a lot of hardworking smart students were not aspiring for top jobs due to poverty or other challenges. Having lost their confidence and vision, the youths were being trapped in illegal courses. Then I thought of doing our bit to help them focus on education, and thus libraries were built in all Panchayats.

How supportive is the community? Are the youth taking this initiative in a positive stride?
Yes, the community is extremely supportive. People are all involved in its functioning and upkeep. We have organised almost 30,000 guidance classes in the last over two years in these libraries.

What challenges did you face in converting derelict government buildings into community libraries?
The challenge was in the initial stage when I was designing the project. It was both related to sourcing of funds and making the rural population aware of using the libraries. But once we were able to solve that problem, it took off.

As more and more youth are undertaking education, have you noticed its positive impact on law-and-order situations?
Yes, now the youth are more hopeful and aspirational. It is a positive domino effect.

Another very compassionate initiative that you took in Jamtara is the Elders Club for senior citizens. What is the inspiration behind this?
Elder’s Club is an attempt to deal with old age loneliness, depression, anxiety and other mental, emotional and physical health issues among the senior citizens.

What facilities do the senior citizens get in the club and how well received is the facility by the community?
These clubs have various indoor and outdoor games, colour TV, refrigerator, religious and secular books, a park attached to it for walking and exercise. We organize monthly health camps, and visits by small children to rejuvenate elderly people. Every month festivals, birthdays are also celebrated here by the senior citizens. Various recreational competitions are also held from time to time, such as poetry writing and carrom tournaments.

You did your graduation in Hotel Management from Delhi. What inspired you towards the Civil Services?
Well, fate! You get what destiny has in store for you.

Before taking charge as the DC of Jamtara, you were posted as Transport Commissioner in Jharkhand. How was the experience?
I was an SDO in Simdega and DDC in Garhwa before becoming the Transport Commissioner. All these assignments have been quite rich in terms of learning new things by getting exposed to various kinds of pulls and pressures.

Source: Bureaucrats India