Good Governance (Strengthening of Panchayat Raj Institutions)

The organization has taken up strengthening the Local Self Governance (LSG) as a strategy to empower the excluded communities in Gram Panchayats.

The thrust of the issue remains on facilitating the meetings of the standing committees of the Panchayats, open meetings of panchayats and ensuring participation of the focus community therein. The organization motivate the voters and also to motivate the capable representatives of the focus community to contest the election. We also felicitate the elected representatives and give orientation on the roles and responsibilities. As a result of the consistent dialogue with the panchayat leaders and committees, we can see regular open meetings in the focus area with an active participation of the excluded community. Members of the focus community now prepare and present their micro plans in the open meetings of the Panchayats and ensure the follow-up through regular meetings with the PRIs and government officials. Standing committees like VHSCs, Education Committee and Development and Planning Committee now meet regularly and take important decisions like monitoring of service providers, monitoring of mid day meal etc.

The trends like open meetings of the Panchayats, regular meetings of the standing committees, formulation of village development plans etc. are gradually surfacing in all the focus GPs of the organization.

Social audits, development of micro plans, mobilization of Panchayat resources for the benefit of village community, capacity building of the Panchayat representatives and networking with government departments etc. are some of the steps in the direction of streamlining of the Panchayat bodies.