Facilitating Immersion Programme of Department of Personnel & Training, Government of India

Over two days, PRIA facilitated a team of officials from different ministries of the Central government to learn the process of community development. These officials are part of the 67th Level-D training programme of the Institute of Secretariat & Training (ISTM), an apex training institute under Department of Personnel & Training, Government of India. Thirty Section Officers and officiating Under Secretaries (5 women and 25 men) immersed themselves in learning from the field experience and grassroots action of PRIA to promote community-led development.

On the first day, the learners visited Sunderkera Gram Panchayat in Dharsiva block, Raipur district. PRIA had supported the development of a participatory Village Sanitation Plan (VSP) under Swachh Bharat Mission in Sunderkera. Based on this VSP, Sunderkera panchayat was able to mobilise more than Rs 37 lakh from various state government schemes to implement plan related activities. Sunderkera Gram Panchayat has been declared ‘Open Defecation Free’ by the state government of Chhattisgarh.

On the second day, the participants met state level officials to understand the role of non-government organisations in promotion of community development in Chhattisgarh.