PR / IH News Desk
KOLKATA, August 25 2020: The gram panchayat has played a very important role in preventing the spread of the Coronavirus pandemic through the use of science-based communication, stated experts at the national webinar organized on Rural Development through Innovations in the Panchayat Raj Institutions by the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM). Primus Partners was the knowledge partner for the session.
Speaking at the webinar, LK Atheeq, Principal Secretary, RDPR Department, Government of Karnataka explained that Karnataka has been on the forefront of decentralization since the start. “The process of panchayat raj strengthening is a very chequered one having multiple variations from village to village. There are many challenges in the path, but we are moving in the right direction. It is more like we take two steps forward and one step backward leading to a few setbacks,” He said
Atheeq explained that as a step ahead, they are working towards making a strong administration backing in Karnataka for the Panchayats.
“Technology does play a pivotal role if we see the bigger picture. In Karnataka, we have launched an application that monitors the finances and works more like accounting software,” he said.
He revealed that technology can be used as a tool for development which might help strengthen the system positively. “Gram panchayat planning exercises need to be very effective and it needs to understand the development priorities of every panchayat which is different for every village,” he added.
Uma Mahadevan, Principal Secretary, Panchayat Raj, department of RDPR, Government of Karnataka stated that the gram panchayat has been instrumental in curtailing misinformation and spreading science-based information since the month of March. “In the last four months, gram panchayat have been thinking of simpler ways to convey scientifically-backed information to ensure that people are careful,” She said.
Citing the example of Government of Karnataka’s software program, Mahadevan stated that Technology is a way to deepen democracy in our country. “Panchatantra 2.0 will not only monitor finance accounting but also arrange meetings too for the administration that will help them discuss the status of development in the village,” She said adding that there are things that can multiply the potential of a panchayat and enable good governance in the area.
“In the last four months, the Gram panchayats have been doing the important work of distribution of nutrition to prevent food insecurity as an essential service. We have also been distributing sanitary napkins. We need a civil society balancing factor along with economic growth. Hence, we need to bring down more services to the gram panchayats,” She pointed out.
TR Raghunandan, Director, Avantika Foundations explained that in every state of India, the Panchayat Raj has been doing some outstanding work without the intention of any recognition. “It is actually an opportunity for the industry to work with the local government and create ripples,” he said.
Gaurav Dwivedi, Principal Secretary, Panchayat & RD, Government of Chhattisgarh stated that there is a need to start working towards a sustainable working model. “We had almost seven lakh people coming back during the Coronavirus pandemic with no source of income. We immediately got almost employment cards done for 3 lakhs of these workers and got them employment under the MNREGA,” he said.
Dwivedi explained that MNREGA is limited only to a particular asset creation like a school or a hospital. “In three years’ time, once the infrastructure is created, there won’t be a requirement for a similar infrastructure for a long time. So there is a need to work towards a sustainable working model and Upskilling the people for them to survive the future,” he said.
Effective planning plays a very important role and I think we have not yet learned ‘data-driven decision making.’ We need to develop the capacities of Panchayats in order to make better decisions for their village.
Davinder Sandhu, Ex-World Bank and PMO Advisory Panel stated that technology should enable the panchayat to plan a system for at least five years in the future. “The state government should encourage the panchayat to build their own growth and work towards the development as per the needs and requirements of their village.
Alok Prem Nagar, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Panchayati Raj, Government of India explained that the most important thing that we need to understand is that the Panchayats have to work like centers of Governance. “Panchayats are to the village what the central government is to the country. In recent times of COVID-19, we have seen that state governments have done some tremendous work and we can learn from each other,” he said.
According to Nagar, the panchayats need to realize what is their real objective and the importance of their role in every village. “We have started with capacity building and training programs for gram panchayats. I think every rural area needs to start adapting this idea of capacity building and training programs for a Panchayat,” he pointed out.
He added that a cluster panchayat can also benefit the administration and development of various panchayats depending on the size of the panchayat. “We have already started working on this model and the cluster panchayat will be led by the youth from various segments that will bring in their individual areas of expertise, which will work as an added advantage in the strengthening of the Panchayat system,” he said.
Meenakshi Rajagopal, Additional chief secretary, Director General, RD & PR Training, Government of Tamil Nadu explained that their state has experienced cyclones very frequently and there was an immediate need to come up with a sustainable working model to deal with this situation.
“The government cannot reach every corner of the state or a city and which is why Joint Liveability Groups (JLGs) came in the picture. JLGs is a group of five people who are trained to deal with unexpected crises in their area. These groups will also be linked to banks in order to apply for loans for micro financing,” She said.
According to Rajagopal this helped increase the credibility of Panchayats and coastal panchayats have played a major role in dealing with cyclones in their particular villages, marking it to the success stories of the government.
“In COVID-19, panchayats of Tamil Nadu have played a major role in spreading awareness among people. We also started free distribution of packets as a major factor to strengthen the Panchayat raj system. The state government is involved in the development of rural areas, indirectly by monitoring every step of the panchayat,” She said.
She further explained that they have also set up a model to give daily reports on the quality and quantity of water that is reaching every house in Tamil Nadu. “This is done with the help of software. Technology has its hurdles but if used wisely, has more benefits,” She pointed out.
VR Rajesh, Head of Sales, Govt & Enterprises, Cropin Technology Solutions Pvt Ltd stated that technology can work as an enabler keeping Panchayat Raj Institutions as the centre for development.
“Technology cannot solve all our problems but we need to keep a real-time check on it’s use. In this year, we have seen a lot of unexpected crises and dealt with them as there was no alternative available. Climate change is one of those crises, we need to provide the right information to the people at the right time, otherwise it can be very late to act upon and think of a solution,” he said.
Purva Chadha, Senior Vice President, Primus Partners explained that Panchayat Raj Institutions play a very crucial role in rural development. “The main aim is to remove poverty and work towards the development of people living in villages by providing various quality facilities. Hence, it is very important to empower the Panchayat Raj System as it has a lot of responsibilities. The grass root level development largely depends on Panchayat Raj Institutions,” She added.