Panchayat Gram Sabha: The Panchayat is accountable to the Gram A Gram Sabha in Village Kodli Sabha at the Panchayat level. Apart from conducting the beneficiary On a sunny afternoon in December 2003, selection for the implementation of the different schemes, the Gram the general body -comprising nearly 1000 Panchayat is to present the audited accounts to the Gram Sabha of the people- of village Kodli, situated in the semi arid tracts of Northern Karnataka in India different villages twice in a year. Convergence, Linkages and were discussing how to mobilize contribution Cooperation and Collaboration between the Gram for watershed treatments on common lands. Collaboration among Panchayat and the VDS “Who will pay the contribution for the treatment on the village uplands? That land Although the Gram Panchayat has the Institutions through is the common property of the entire village,” said Deshmukh, the village leader. “If it legal right to call a Gram Sabha, it is in was a treatment on the private property, the individual farmer could pay the contribution the VDS general body meetings where Gram Sabhas as he/she is the direct beneficiary. Here no one is a direct beneficiary. Who will pay the the true spirit of the Gram Sabhas was mandatory contribution for the watershed treatments? How do we resolve this issue?” first noticed. The participation, (Village Level General Body Meetings) “The treatment in the commons will benefit the entire village. Any water conservation transparency and the questioning that is effort will lead to the recharge in the plots in the lower reaches. Also the drinking water usual business in the VDS general wells in the village will get recharged. As all are getting the benefit, all should pay equally!” said Khatal Saab, a progressive farmer. bodies was earlier missing in the Gram Sabhas. Subsequently, with better linkages between the Gram Panchayat and VDS- the graduation of “But not all people have land! The landless are not benefiting as much from the project as the farmers on whose land the work is being done,” said Gauribi, a landless members from the VDS to the Gram Panchayat, the Gram Panchayat laborer. “As landless do not gain anything, why should we pay the contribution? Also, working closely with the VDS Governing Council, the difference between there are farmers in the village whose land does not fall in the watershed boundary. the Gram Panchayat constituted Gram Sabhas and VDS general body Why should they pay the contribution?” meetings has reduced. There are examples emerging of the two institutions Numerous other dimensions surrounding the issue were discussed openly. Finally, working in synergy. Recently, the two institutions have placed their agendas after long deliberations, there was a consensus that the contribution for the treatment in a common Gram Sabha. The Panchayat members attended a Gram on the private land will be raised to 30% instead of the prevailing 25% while no contribution will be collected for treatments planned on the common lands, the extra Sabha called by the VDS governing council. The panchayat members placed 5% being a commitment towards community contribution to the common land treatments. an agenda for the meeting and the distribution of different kinds of ration Such village general body meetings locally called Gram Sabhas, are usually held for cards based on the economic status of the beneficiary was done in a highly arriving at a consensus on issues that are of common interest to the entire village. In transparent manner in this Gram Sabha. This bodies well for the future the case of village Kodli, the Gram Sabhas have become a convergence point for when the project is in its withdrawal stages. bringing together institutions involved in the implementation of various programs. Learnings differences in the process of conduct of ✽ Enhanced organizational capacities of the community in the VDS transferred to the Gram Sabhas called by the two the larger Panchayat system institutions. ✽ Integration of institutions for mainstreaming of development activities with in VDS Gram sabha: The constitution of CBOs for sustainability of activities undertaken as part of various programs An experience shared at the governing council of the VDS, the ✽ Common platform created in the form of gram sabha for involving all the Capitalization of Experiences: sanctioning of the plot wise microplans members of the community in decision-making processes especially during for the watershed treatments, the selection of beneficiaries for the different the selection of beneficiaries for development programs Water, Land and People in India activities, arriving at consensus for addressing common issues like wage ✽ Discussions in the Gram Sabhas on the plan, progress and other project fixation, deciding on local contribution on common and private lands, etc. related issues openly ensured that information and decision making on all are all done collectively by the village community in a Gram Sabha. aspects including finances was in the public domain ✽ The different social groups in village Kodli began to come together and think Change towards integration together as a community. M Y R A D A In Kodli, for the conduct of the VDS Gram Sabha, the VDS requests the Kodli Gram For details of Capitalization of Experiences process contact : Panchayat for providing the services of the “official information disseminator” (locally India : [email protected] Switzerland : [email protected] called Tom-Tom). This arrangement provides legitimacy to the VDS general body M Y R A D A ISPWD-K Chincholli Project, KODLI - Post, Chincholli Tq, Gulbarga Dt, Karnataka, INDIA meeting and elevates its status to that equivalent to a Gram Sabha. Phones : 08475 - 292002, E-mail : [email protected] Background and transparent functioning has been able costs through service charges by operation on a not-for-profit principle. CMRC governing body consists of 15 women representing SHGs from Indo Swiss Participative Watershed to establish its own identity as a strong different villages. Development Project Karnataka (ISPWDK) village based institution and has established started in 1995 in five districts of Karnataka viz. strong linkages on its own. Bidar, Bijapur, Gulbarga, Koppal and The VDS for effective functioning delegates Linkages between institutions Chikmagalur. It was initiated as a bilateral project responsibilities of implementation to The linkages between the SHGs, VDS, in collaboration with Government of Karnataka (GoK) and 5 NGO different sub- committees constituted for CMRC and VDS constituted committees partners. The project entails a multi partnership set-up with community- different purposes like the watershed What is VDS? work on a principle of delegation of responsibility. There are clear reporting based organisations as the main stakeholders at village level. management committee (for the ✽ Village-based systems to the respective agency on the Initially the implementation of the project was largely through government implementation of watershed works), ✽ Full representation of the village stipulated frequency, which is usually line agencies - with NGO partners providing capacity building. But slowly livelihood committee (for the livelihood ✽ Elected Committee (the monthly. The Gram Panchayat and its sub people controlled institutions called Village Development Societies (VDS) activities), etc. The sub-committees, comprising of resource persons drawn from Governing Council) committees also have well defined role and responsibilities. evolved from the learnings gained during the implementation. The VDS ✽ Focus beyond watershed different social groups in the village, report are expected to complement the larger local government administrative ✽ Permanent In Kodli VDS Governing council, there is a regular position of the Gram to the Governing council of the VDS on a unit of the Gram Panchayat, in terms of promoting democratic principles ✽ Legally established Panchayat member as an ex-officio member. After the recent elections, a and strengthening local competencies. This case study provides an insight monthly basis. The VDS Governing council (registered under Societies few VDS governing council members have been elected to the Gram Registration Act, 1960) into the convergence of the VDS with the larger governing body called reports its progress to the Gram Sabha once Panchyat. This has helped establish synergies between the working of the ✽ Financially empowered Panchayat Raj Institution (PRI) in a village called Kodli in Gulbarga district in six months. two bodies. The Kodli Gram Panchyat delegated the task of the selection of Karnataka State. The non-government organization called MYRADA of the beneficiaries for the housing schemes sanctioned under the facilitated the process. Women Self Help Groups/ Self Affinity Groups Government schemes to the respective VDS governing council, which in The village level womens savings and thrift turn completed the process through community consensus in the Gram Village level Institutions groups are commonly called women self Sabha. Effective village level bodies like the VDS can be recognized as help groups (SHGs). Most of the women legitimate sub committees of the Gram Panchayat. Gram Panchayat members in the VDS governing council The Gram Panchayat (GP) is a constitutionally mandated body for local Developmental are members from the SHGs. In village Activities governance. It is the lowest unit of elected government in India, covering