In a bid to create awareness on Grama Sabha and to ensure corruption-free, transparency in administration, at the gram panchayat level, a week-long awareness programme will be organised, on an experimental basis in Bantwal taluk.
The awareness jatha will be organised jointly by Jana Shikshana Trust, Sugrama Elected Gram Panchayat Women Members Federation, Chithara, Apna Desh and Panchayat Raj Samithis.
Speaking to Deccan Herald, Jana Shikshana Trust Directors Sheena Shetty and Krishna Moolya said that in the gram sabha meeting, each villager should participate actively and take a decision about preparing the beneficiaries list and getting the work done for the development of the village.
The awareness programme will be lead by Sugrama elected gram panchayat women members.
“We will hold the programme on an experimental basis in Balepuni, Manchi, Ira, Kadeshwalya, Balthila and Amtadi gram panchayats. Looking at the response, it will be expanded to other taluks in the coming days,” said Krishna Moolya.
“If Gram Sabha is empowered, then development work can be seen at the grassroot level. With 73rd amendment to Constitution, Gram Sabha has received constitutional status.
The Gram Sabha should be held once in six months and a special gram sabha should be held to prepare action plan for Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme in every gram panchayat on October 2. All the voters are the members of the Gram Sabha,” said Shetty.
In the awareness programme, there will be a jeep which will have charts and posters highlighting the importance of Grama Sabha.
The jeep will travel to each and every ward and the Sugrama members will speak on the importance of the grama sabha.
Awareness programme will be held in schools, and every major junction in the gram panchayat wards, he added.
In fact, Jana Shikshana Trust and Apna Desh developed the new concept of holding gram sabhas on the lines of Vidhan Sabha to attract more voters to participate in these meetings and the first such meeting was held on a pilot basis at Kadeshwalya gram panchayat, on February 28.
About 306, against the usual 80-100, villagers had actively taken part in the gram sabha. What makes this programme unique is that by ensuring the participation of more voters in gram sabha meetings, it emphasises the importance of people’s participation in democracy.