Panchayati Raj- An experiment in empowerment of Tribal people

Goal

Capacity building of PRI functionaries to be functionally effective in their sphere of action. 

Area

Koraput, Malkangiri & Rayagada 

Focus Areas

Empowering the PRI functionaries to manage and control the process of change. 

In spite of all the privileges embedded in the constitution, the desired change had all along been a mirage in the overall life situation of these tribal people, which is mainly due to lack of essential knowledge and skills to lead and assert for their rights. The region being rich in natural resources especially the land, forest and water has made them more vulnerable than secured because of lack of ownership over these resources. The indigenous identity of the tribal is slowly being eroded as they are termed as encroachers and are subjected to frequent land and cultural alienation induced by different projects, mining and the ongoing state sponsored industrialization initiatives in the region. 

But the fifth and sixth schedule in the Indian Constitution and with the added enforcement of 73rd amendment, has given the tribal people special status under the Panchayat Raj system, for instance, the reservation privilege in political representation. This was done with the sole purpose to foster active participation of the underprivileged tribal people. In this context, the intervention on Panchayat Raj comes for special mention, as it has been successful in empowering PRI functionaries to manage and control the process of change in the operational panchayats of the programme. 

Progress perspective

  • District level workshops organized to critically analyze the Right to Information Act and other state rules relating to Panchayat Raj to enable the community to access the information easily.
  • Block level trainings organized for PRI members on social moblisation and right to information for increased access to information by the people at the panchayat level.
  • Micro level planning exercise was carried out the operational panchayats through a series of meetings to motivate and involve the village leaders to steer the MLP process.
  • Innovative activities in the shape of construction of rainwater channel, Stage for meeting, spring water tank for drinking water etc. have been carried out in the operational panchayats.
  • BD PRI team members had an opportunity to visit Kanker district in the state of Chattishgarh where XIDAS is implementing a Panchayat Raj project called PRI-LAB for empowerment of tribal PRI members.
  • Review and planning meeting is done on a regular basis to analyse the progress and problem at the field level and subsequent planning for the next month.
  • Documentation of activities is in progress at the panchayat and the organizational level for wider dissemination and reference if any.