It is multi pronged program aimed at empowering the community by strengthening the Gram Panchayats through a variety of inputs, including training and education for facilitating such social and economic growth and development as would lead to the creation of harmonious and prosperous rural society. The five key elements of this program are Research, training, advocacy, communication and networking. More specifically, many young boys and girls have been trained o PRA so that they can do micro planning in the villages in future. In this manner, the community has been made more aware of its land rights, structure of the government.
India is a populous and big democratic country in the world. It has decentralized local governance spread down to gross root level. After independence, the government of India took initiative for implementation of Balwanthroy Mehta and Ashok Mehta committee recommendations for strengthening Panchayat Raj institutions in the country. But over a period, the state governments have not focused on them. On the one side, the PRIs were facing severe lack of funds and on the other in many states even elections do not take place as per schedule. As a result, thousands of villages are left underdeveloped. In the year 1993, the government of India took a revolutionary step through the 73rd constitutional amendment delegating 29 powers to PRI's in the country. As per this decision, the PRI's are empowered to take decisions at the village level. They have the control over natural resources of the village. The people need not go to the higher level for getting land certificates and for other purposes. However, in practice the Andhra Pradesh government has not transferred all the powers to PRI's. For devolution of powers to PRI's, many Civil Society Organizations have come forward and collected people’s opinion through ballet and presented the poll results to the state government. The Krushi also took active part on it. In Sirsilla division, it has organized training programs to women representatives of PRIs. The Krushi strongly feels that the government should pay special attention on improving capacities of PRI's representatives on continues basis. Then only developmental activities will move in a systematic way and achieve the expected results. In this process, though funds are a constraint, the Krushi will continue its efforts on strengthening capacities of PRI's.
|
