Two gram panchayats of Jharkhand have created hattricks of sorts by bagging national panchayat awards for three consecutive years for their outstanding performances.
While Bundu pnachayat of Bokaro district bagged the award for being the best child-friendly panchayat in the state in 2019-20, Kapila panchayat of Giridih received the Nanaji Deshmukh Rashtriya Gaurav Gram Sabha Puraskar for its outstanding contribution to socio-economic development by involving gram sabha.
B.K. Behara, economic adviser to the Union panchayati raj ministry, in a letter addressed to panchayat secretaries of different states on Wednesday, informed about the panchayats that had bagged awards for their performances during 2019-20.
Bundu panchayat had also received the Deen Dayal Upadhyay Panchayat Sashaktikaran Puraskar in recognition of the good work done by it during 2017-18 and also for being a child-friendly panchayat in 2018-19. Similarly, Kapila panchayat had also bagged the Deen Dayal award in 2017-18 and the gram sabha award in 2018-19.
Besides these two panchayats, Khutahari gram panchayat in Sahebganj district bagged the Gram Panchayat Development Plan Award for drafting its development plan according to specific guidelines during 2019-20.
Khunti zilla parishad, panchayat samitis or intermediary panchayati raj institutions at block level of Golmuri-Jugsalai in East Singhbhum district and Khunti proper of that district and gram panchayats of Budhudih in Giridih district, Chapri in Bokaro and Pindrakon in Hazaribagh also bagged the Deen Dayal award for their good performances during 2019-20.
After the expiry of their terms, fresh elections for panchayati raj institutions that became due in 2020 could not be held in Jharkhand because of the coronavirus pandemic. At present, the outgoing mukhiyas (chiefs) of gram panchayats are working as pradhans (heads) of executive committees that are running the show.
Ajay Kumar Singh , the pradhan of Bundu panchayat in Bokaro district, during immunisation drive among children Telegraph picture
On the reasons why the Bundu panchayat was recognised as the best child-friendly panchayat in the state for two successive years, its former mukhiya and present head Ajay Kumar Singh said: “Every child in our panchayat goes to school. They all are also covered under the immunisation programme and their nutrition issues are addressed properly.”
“We have well-run anganwadi centres for kids and also developed playgrounds for the children,” he further said, adding that the panchayat members got themselves involved at every stage and even rushed children to hospitals in case of medical emergencies.
Asked about the recognition received by Kapila panchayat for outstanding contribution towards socio-economic development by involving gram sabhas, its former mukhiya and present head Indu Devi said: “We hold gram sabha regularly and plan development programmes only after taking consent from villagers. We also maintain transparency at every stage.”
“That is why we get whole-hearted support and cooperation from the villagers, who are the members of gram sabha, at every stage during execution of any work that is taken up with its consent.”
