Tirupati
The Gram Panchayat Development Plan (GPDP) planning process has to be comprehensive and based on a participatory process that involves full convergence with the schemes of all related Central Ministries/Line Departments related to 29 subjects enlisted in the Eleventh Schedule of the Constitution.
Keeping in view the significance of the GPDP, the Academy of Grassroots Studies and Research of India (AGRASRI), Tirupati organized a Regional Webinar Meeting on ‘Gram Panchayat Development Plan in Andhra Pradesh: Status and Implementation’. AGRASRI is an ICSSR grant-in-aid research institute for maintenance and development.
Inaugurating the Meeting, Chief Guest M Rajasekhar, former Chairman of Zilla Praja Parishad, Kurnool, said that the GPDP formulation has ample scope and opportunity to bring the development issues and problems of the villages to the attention of the policymakers. He said that the Kerala Government had provided a congenial administrative structure to the Gram Panchayats (GPs) with involvement and functioning of 21 Departments under the control and supervision of GPs and 40 per cent of the State Budget resources allocated to the Local Self Government Institutions in achieving the targeted goals and aims in public service mechanism.
Stressing the significance of the Gram Sabha, Rajasekhar suggested that partnership and participation of the people in the Gram Sabha meetings must improve in a bigger way for transparency and accountability in finalizing the beneficiaries of the government welfare schemes and programmes.
Guest of Honour Dasaradha Rami Reddy, District Panchayat Officer (DPO) of Chittoor, said that the Andhra Pradesh Sachivalaya System is one of the best role model administrative reforms in India for providing abundant public services to the people at their doorsteps. Explaining the key role of Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) in sustainable development, he said that today in every Gram Panchayat of Andhra Pradesh, sanitation, drinking water, street lights, roads, health services and other civic and public services were being delivered to every citizen in an effective manner through the Sachivalaya system. He appreciated the efforts of AGRASRI for rendering its research and training services in PRIs over a period of two decades in delivering good governance at the grassroots.
President Prof. E Venkatesu, Professor of Political Science at the University of Hyderabad, said that the role of PRIs in 75 years of Independent India was unforgettable. He said the contributions and initiatives of Telugu policymakers PV Narasimha Rao, G Venkataswamy and Prof. K Sivaiah of NIRD would always be remembered in the formulation and enactment of the 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendment Acts, besides the vision and efforts of Rajiv Gandhi. He regretted that though the 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act empowered the PRIs as Constitutional bodies through 29 subjects, the majority of the State Governments had not yet devolved the functions, functionaries and funds to the PRIs, except states like Kerala, Karnataka, West Bengal and Madhya Pradesh.
Dr D Sundar Ram, Moderator of the Meeting and Director of AGRASRI, said that the People’s Plan Campaign (PPC) movement of Kerala in 1996 and the recommendations of the Grassroots Level Planning Committee under the Union Ministry of Panchayati Raj headed by Kerala former chief secretary VK Ramachandran were the driving force for the GPDP process in India. Explaining the decentralized planning process in India, he said that the Kerala Government headed by EK Nayanar made constructive efforts for the grassroots planning process with the inspiration of Kutumba Shree. After the formation of the separate Ministry of Panchayati Raj headed by Mani Shankar Aiyar, many revolutionary reforms took place in decentralized planning process for evolving "bottom-up planning" instead of the earlier model of "top-down planning".
Invited Speaker Dr Anjan Kumar Banja, Associate Professor and Head, Centre for Panchayati Raj, Decentralised Planning and Social Service Delivery at the National Institute of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, said that the involvement of local people in the formulation of the GPDP is very important. In strengthening the goals and objectives of the GPDP by the Union Ministry of Panchayati Raj, he observed that the upgradation of skills of the elected representatives of PRIs and partnership with communities, consultants, NGOs and Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) would be very helpful in the process of GPDP in all respects.
Panelist Dr D Veerababu, Asst Professor of Political Science at the University of Hyderabad, said that the Telangana State Government had made necessary amendments to the Telangana State Panchayati Raj Act in 2018 keeping in view of the people’s participation in the grassroots level planning and implementation through various people-oriented programmes like Palle Pragathi and Grama Jyothi. For effective people’s participation in GPDP, he said that the Telangana Government had prepared an action plan with an outlay of Rs 642 crores, and 302 Mandals had been allocated exclusively for SCs and STs. Every village is transforming as Harithavanam and utilizes the MGNREGS funds for various developmental programmes.
Panelist K Prasada Rao, Training In-charge of Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (RGSA) at the AP Commissionerate of Panchayati Raj, Govt of Andhra Pradesh, said that every GP would constitute the GPDP Committee Working Groups and direct involvement of the elected representatives and people’s participation were the need of the hour for the successful formulation of GPDP. Analyzing the GPDP process, he said that the capacity-building framework would be revamped and convergence of Self-Help Groups and inclusion of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the GPDP would yield more results.
Panelist K Srinivasa Rao, Faculty Member at the Extension Training Centre (ETC), Samarlakota, said that the unification of 29 subjects as per the 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act would lead to the success of the GPDP for financial inclusion and social justice in GPs. For the success of the GPDP process, he suggested that the Gram Sabha meetings should be conducted in a transparent manner and utilize the latest technology applications by the Gram Panchayat staff for uploading the GPDP on e-Gram Swaraj portal, apart from using an online account system.
Panelist TMB Butchiraju, Chairman of AP Panchayati Raj Services, Amaravathi, said that the GPDP would be formulated on the basis of the Antyodaya details of every GP and top priority given to sanitation, drinking water, health, infrastructure and livelihoods items in the GPDP. Discussing the devolution of 3 Fs — Functions, Functionaries and Finances — he said that the Government of Andhra Pradesh would take immediate action for decentralization of powers in 29 subjects to PRIs. He suggested that the GP would fully utilize the Information and Communication Technology services for speedy disposal of public grievances and create the Ombudsman system at the Gram Panchayat level for transparency and accountability in the GP administration.
D Sai Kumar, Co-ordinator of Youth Resource Centre, AGRASRI proposed the vote of thanks.
A 10-point Charter of Demands emerged from the meeting for an effective formulation and execution of the Gram Panchayat Development Plan (GPDP). The Charter includes: (i) To conduct the Gram Sabha meetings with majority of the people of the concerned GP in a transparent manner for expressing their views and opinions on the development issues on non-political nature for the formulation of GPDP; (ii) To conduct the elections to the GPs in a stipulated period as per the State Election Commission regulations by the respective State Governments; (iii) To devolve the 3 Fs to the PRIs immediately; (iv) To merge the Revenue Department with the Panchayati Raj Department for delivering effective and time-bound public services at the villages in a comprehensive manner; (v) To provide capacity building and training to the Sarpanchs and Panchayat Secretaries exclusively on GPDP formulation and execution through reputed research institutes once in three months; (vi) To formulate the GPDP Committees and Working Groups in each and every village under the chairmanship of the Sarpanch with the assistance of Panchayat Secretary; (vii) To incorporate the SDGs in the GPDP vision document; (viii) To converge SHGs, CBOs and NGOs at the village level and utilize their services and expertise in the formulation and execution of the GPDP; (ix) To make the maximum use of the latest technology applications by every GP in providing e-governance; and (x) To engage the services of consultancies, reputed NGOs and research institutes by the GPs in the formulation of GPDP in a scientific manner.