Strengthening Gram Sabha in Tribal Pockets of Madhya Pradesh (93% increase in Gram Sabha meetings in 108 days of JEEV IKA implementation)!

In JEEVIKA project Panchayats out of 67 tribal Panchayats in 58 Gram Panchayts , gram Sabhas have been organised on 26th Jan 2013 ( comparing last year total 30 gram Sabhas in a on 26th Jan 2012)-an increase of 93% in gram Sabha meetings. In India , governance with rural community startes with Gram Panchayat and the core meeting Known as Gram Sabha (OR Village assembly is a meeting of all adults who live in the area covered by a Panchayat.Anyone who is 18 years old or more and who has the right to vote is a member of the Gram Sabha). There must be a minimum of two gram sabha organised in a gram panchayat in a year, but situation in tribal pockets of Madhya Pradesh are different, in 67 Gram Panchayats of 7 districts of Madhya Pradesh ( Ujjain, Shivpuri, Khandwa, Shehore, Dhar-Indore, Jhabuwa, & Umariya-where JEEVIKIA project from last three months is going on) in last year on 26th Jan 2012 only about 30 gram Sabhas have been organised with hardly any prastav from community/CBO and with hardly any participation by women members of the villages. Although with JEEVIKA we have just completed 108 days but we are able to make change in the sytem at community and at Panchayt level in terms of gram sabha through the following:

•Making PRI ‘s officially as the technical partner of JEEVIKA project implementation ( signed support letter from all 67 Panchayts)

•Initiating PRI literacy classes in each and every programme of JEEVIKA

•Established JEEVIKA cluster office base in the project field itself and staff staying in the project villages

•Regular interaction with PRI members and providing them sufficient guidance to facilitate gram Sabhas

•Clarifying the importance of Gram Sabha amongst the community and PRI members with Rallies (11)and Nukkad nataks (6)

•Facilitating community 10 writeshop on putting prastav in Gram Sabhas

With JEEVIKA project changes observed in 108 days are ( in terms of Gram Panchayt) JEEVIKA project

•Out of 67 gram Panchayats in 58 gram panvchayts Gram sabhas have been organised on 26th Jan 2013 ( last year this number was 30)

•In the concerned 58 Panchayats, it first happening that in the beginning of the year Gram Sabhas are happening and at least with 8-10 % of women participation. ( base line figure indicate it 2-3%)

•Community Participation was 45% ( compare to baseline of 20%)

•In the gram sabah 11 prastavas (recommendations) from Community side has been given

•This gram sabhas in the project villages are not merely restricted with the discussion amongst PRI members, but community has also not only become the part of discussion, but also recommended suggestion for decisions.

•With Gram Sabhas community, JEEVIKA team members have also taken session on organic cultivation and shared about the practices related with it.

•JEEVIKA project has been discussed in GRaam Sabhas

The basic thing for this change was , its not that community and PRI can not facilitate Gram Sabhas, but only thing they were hardly aware of its process and impact, and with JEEVIKA we have only strengthen it.

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