• Governance: Strengthening Grassroots Democracy

 

Village-Level Constitutional Body

• Serves as a critical platform for community discussions, addressing common problems, and understanding collective aspirations.
• Encourages participatory decision-making and collaborative problem-solving.

 

Panchayati Raj Extension in Scheduled Area (PESA) Act

Background

• Introduced in Jharkhand in 2010, the PESA Act aims to empower tribal communities through self-governance and decentralized decision-making.
• Traditional Gram Sabha leaders and elected Panchayat leaders needed coordination to fulfill the act's objectives effectively.

Organizational Role

1. Facilitating Coordination:
   • Bridged gaps between Traditional Gram Sabha Leaders and elected Panchayat leaders.
   • Promoted harmony and clarity of roles under the PESA framework.
2. Capacity Building:
3. Conducted workshops, training programs, and distributed booklets to educate leaders and villagers.
4. Focused on roles, responsibilities, and effective functioning of Gram Sabha.

 

Impactful Changes in Governance

Transformation in Planning Approach:

• • Villagers now actively participate in planning during Gram Sabha meetings.
  • Plans are prepared by the community, approved by executive committees, and submitted to Block Offices through Panchayat Samiti members.

Enhanced Scheme Implementation

• Improved confidence among villagers in accessing and implementing government schemes on time.
• Successfully implemented the ‘Yojna Banoa Abhiyan’ (Plan-Making Campaign):
  • Villagers, including men, women, and youth, were actively involved in drafting developmental plans for their community.