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LATEST NEWS UPDATES | Gram sabhas: public shy of discussing needs, problems

Gram sabhas: public shy of discussing needs, problems

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published Published on Aug 16, 2013   modified Modified on Aug 16, 2013
-The Hindu


Collector asks people to have a blueprint for making their village free from open defecation

Vellore (Tamil Nadu): Gram sabhas conducted four times in a year - on Republic Day, May Day, Independence Day and Gandhi Jayanthi - are meant to be an open forum to enable public to demand schemes, especially on basic amenities required for the villages and benefits from welfare schemes. But, in reality, the public, especially women are shy of speaking out at the gram sabhas in the presence of officials. This was evident at the gram sabha at Kilminnal village panchayat in Arcot panchayat union on Thursday. Only one or two hands went up, that too on prodding, when Collector Sankar asked how many of them were in favour of constructing hygienic toilets during his interaction with the villagers urging them to avoid the practice of open defecation - a common practice in villages.He drew their attention to the ‘Chee Chee' posters depicting the ignominy attached to the practice of open defecation, and the possibility of those practising it, especially women, being subjected to ridicule. The posters, showing a doctor frowning at the practice of open defecation, explains the ignominy of women losing their respect by practising it, and the danger of the villagers being infected with various diseases including hook worm disease on account of stepping on stool while walking in the thick vegetation.

The Collector wanted the gram sabha to prepare a blueprint for making the village free from open defecation. He said that anyone in the village could construct a hygienic toilet at a total unit cost of Rs. 11,100 under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme.

Subsidy

This comprised a Central government subsidy of Rs. 3200, State government subsidy of Rs. 2500 , Rs. 4500 as labour component from MGNREGS and Rs. 900 by way of beneficiary contribution.

Mr. Sankar asked the villages to inculcate the concept of using sanitary toilets in children from an early age. He also appealed to the public to undertake rainwater harvesting in their houses. He noted with regret that most of the houses have more of cement surface with no room for rainwater harvesting. He asked the people to use the forum of gram sabha and send proposals on their needs such as roads, drinking water and other needs so that the government could allot funds and meet their needs under the self-sufficiency scheme.

N. Srinivasan, Project Director, District Rural Development Agency, said that if the public contribute one-third of the cost a project, the government would meet the balance two-thirds cost under the self-sufficiency scheme. Ravichandran, tahsildar, Walajapet said that aids worth Rs.1.05 crore have been distributed to beneficiaries under the Farmers' Protection Scheme in Kilminnal village. Those farmers having one acre of wet land or two acres of dry land and are over 60 years of age are eligible for assistance under the scheme.

A panchayat official said the unit cost under the Solar Powered Green Houses Scheme has been increased from Rs. 1.85 lakh to Rs. 2.10 lakh for the year 2013-14, while the unit cost for a house under the Indira Awas Yojana has been increased from Rs. 70,000 to Rs. 1.20 lakh.

This comprised Rs. 52,500 Central government contribution, Rs. 17,500 State government contribution and Rs.50,000 for solar panels.


The Hindu, 16 August, 2013, http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-tamilnadu/gram-sabhas-public-shy-of-discussing-needs-problems/article5028062.ece


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