Children are increasingly becoming conscious of their rights as citizens. In this direction the issue of children’s ‘right to be heard’ is being considered with utmost seriousness by international policy makers.

The State Panchayat Raj Department has issued an order in October this year making it mandatory for all panchayats to provide an opportunity for children to articulate their issues directly with their elected representatives at special children’s grama sabhas.

In this connection Concerned for Working Children (CWC), an NGO, has designed a handbook and training module to equip children and all adult stakeholders responsible to conduct the special children’s grama sabhas with an understanding of its significance and also enabling their participation across all the 29 districts.
According to M M Ganapati, Assistant Director of CWC, the handbook will be divided into two parts- one meant for adults and the other for children. It will have detailed information about the objectives and working pattern of grama sabhas and the infrastructure needed for it.

Require
It will also suggest how the convergence of all state government departments at panchayat level is required for this purpose and will give necessary tips to children, based on CWC’s observation of special children’s grama sabhas at Udupi, Bellary and Karwar districts last year.

The training module will be jointly facilitated by CWC and Bhima Sangha (working children’s union). It will consist of a three-day interactive workshop conducted by CWC trainers, where a demonstration of children’s grama sabhas will be held for adults and awareness about these sabhas will be imparted to children.

Four centres
Further, the entire state will be divided into four revenue division training centres. Under each division four adults from each district will be trained. They, in turn, will conduct training programmes for adults in panchayats at taluk level.

Though CWC has its own resources to implement these plans, it requires the state government’s help to make them work at grassroots levels.

“The Ministry of Panchayat Raj is keen to print the handbooks and also extend help in conducting training programmes. Once we get the necessary approval from them we will implement these plans,” added Mr Ganapati.