Date
31-Jul-2019 to 31-Jul-2019 		Location
IGPRS, Jaipur		 Format
Local

Society for Participatory Research in Asia (PRIA) organised a state-level workshop to discuss the challenges in participatory planning and to put forward the necessary steps to strengthen its effect. This state-level workshop was organized in collaboration with the Panchayati Raj Department in the Indira Gandhi Panchayati Raj & Gramin Vikas Sansthan (IGPRS& GVS), Jaipur, on 31 July 2019 (from 10.30 am to 4:30 pm). It was attended by representatives from various Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs), government officials and CSR groups.

 

The following topics were discussed in the workshop:

  1. Gram Panchayat Development Planning (GPDP) - Efforts and Challenges in   Rajasthan.
  2. Role of women assemblies in participatory decentralized planning and inclusive development.

 

Key Discussion Points:

  1. The Plan cycle of GPDP was discussed thoroughly starting from the formation of GPFFC to the final implementation and monitoring of the plans. It was realised that the monitoring and follow-up process after the GPDP was prepared is not occurring as there is no mechanism devised for this at the panchayat level.
  2. Though several pieces of training and awareness classes were conducting to understand Gram Panchayat Development Planning (GPDP), the community and gram panchayat officials (including Front Line Workers) do not have an idea about GPDP. This needs to change.
  3. The state-level or national-level master trainers are maintaining the quality of training but once it reaches the grassroots level, the effect is diluted and the quality becomes very poor.
  4. GPDPs are not prepared with the required participation of Gram Sabhas. Women participation in the Gram Sabhas is almost rare. Though office order for organising Mahila Sabhas was issued in 2012, the absence of any such provision in the Rajasthan State Panchayat Raj Act limits its implementation in letter and spirit.  
  5. The 18 departments are implementing various schemes and programmes at the gram panchayat level, but in practice, there is no convergence among these departments and a lack of integration of the plans is making these plans ineffective.
  6. There is a shortage of trained manpower for providing technical support for planning to the gram panchayats; moreover, the GPs are not capable of drawing inferences (based on the data collected) for planning.
  7. There is a limited flow of information from the policy makers about the ground realities and what needs to be implemented at the ground. Moreover, no such mechanisms are in place to facilitate this flow of information.
  8. The District Planning Committees (DPCs) are not active and not playing their mandated role in the decentralized planning process.
  9. Gram Panchayats are not being recognized as the unit of governance but instead, as the implementing arm of the government; the planning process is generally scheme-driven and not ‘local demand-driven’; Building capacities of the Gram Panchayats needs to be at scale; the challenge of women participation and addressing the needs of children and adolescents are also not seen as part of the agenda.
  10. Panchayats have a crucial role to play in achieving the SDGs. Following the Eleventh Schedule of the constitution, Panchayats are expected to play a key role in ensuring the various thematic domains enlisted as 29 functions. Many of the SDG targets are within the purview of the functions enlisted in the 11th schedule. But in the absence of demystification and localisation of SDGs, panchayats and concerned departments are not able to address them.
  11. Training of panchayat representatives at all tiers is limited to their roles and responsibilities and awareness on various schemes. But they lack the facilitation skills to convene Gram Sabhas and bringing out the key priorities of the citizens to the planning agenda.

 

Suggestions/Recommendations:

  1. To ensure quality training of panchayat members and front line workers, it is essential to conduct a training needs assessment (TNA) and on the basis of the findings of the TNA, necessary training material and methodologies need to be devised.
  2. Various examples/ best practices relevant to the Rajasthan context need to be integrated in the training material so that trainees will be able to connect themselves with the same geo-political situation.
  3. More focus should be given on the approach and methodology of the training and it should be more interactive and participatory in nature.
  4. Necessary amendment in the Rajasthan Panchayat Act to be made to have provision of mandatory Mahila Sabhas before the Gram Sabha. In this case, the Himachal Pradesh Panchayat Act Amendment 2015, Section 5-B needs to be referred. 
  5. Ward Sabhas also need to be strengthened with special provision for Baal Sabhas and Kishori Sabhas to address the needs of the children.
  6. Efforts need to be made for forming collaborative platforms of Civil Society and Government at the district and state level, especially for the devolved departments. It will help in regular exchange of learnings and improvements in programme implementation.
  7. Trained manpower for dealing with technical aspects of planning need to be ensured at the gram panchayat level. Local colleges and Universities can play an important role in this regard. Necessary engagement of Higher Education department is important to drive this. It will also help in increasing engagement of local educated youth with the panchayats. It will also have an impact on the gram sabha participation.
  8. In order to improve the quality of the training at the gram panchayat level, efforts to be made to create a pool of master trainers close to the GPs instead of at the state and district level.

 

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