42. decentralised planning process

Decentralised Planning Process:
Awareness and Actions for
Improving Key Social Indicators
Kristin Vestrheim
Marie Kock Nielsen
Nidhi Sen
Shashvat Saurabh
In collaboration with
Centre for Studies in Social Sciences Calcutta (CSSSC)
Kolkata
For every child
Health, Education, Equality, Protection
ADVANCE HUMANITY
KCCI / 2007-04

Design & Printing : Rajdhani Art Press | 98102 45301
Disclaimer
The views expressed in this case study are those of the authors alone and do not necessarily
reflect the policies or the views of UNICEF and the Centre for Studies in Social Science,
Calcutta (CSSSC).

Table of Contents
List of Tables and Figures 2
Acknowledgements 3
Acronyms & Glossary 4
Foreword 5
Executive Summary 6
Statement of the Problem 7
Background 8
Theoreticalframework 8
The participatory approach and empowerment 8
UNICEF’s Key Social Indicators 9
DecentralisationinWestBengal 10
StructureofgovernanceinWestBengal 11
Strengtheningruraldecentralisation 13
HumandevelopmentinWestBengal 15
DevelopmentscenarioinPurulia 17
Methodology 20
Sonathali and Beko Gram Panchayats 21
Research tools 21
Researchlimitations 22
Presentation of Findings and Analysis 23
Awarenessandservicedelivery 23
Waterandhygiene 23
Sanitation 25
Womenandchildren 26
Education 27
ICDS centre 28
Participation 29
Preparationofplans 29
Attendanceatmeetings 29
Favouritism 30
Decision-making 31
Long-termdevelopment 32
Capacitybuilding 32
Selfhelpgroups 35
Informationflow 36
Conclusion 39
References 41
Annexure 43
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List of Tables and Figures
Tables
Table 1: HumandevelopmentindicesinWestBengal 16
Table 2: SC&STpopulationinPurulia(rural) 18
Table 3: KeyindicatorsforPuruliaonhealthissues 18
Table 4: Totalliteracyrateandlatrinefacilities 19
Table 5: Population and literacy rate for Beko and Sonathali 21
Figures
Figure 1: Model of the PRI structure in West Bengal 12
Figure 2: MapofPuruliadistrict 17
Figure 3: Map of Kashipur block 20
22222

Acknowledgements
We would like to thank the faculty members at the Centre for Studies in Social Sciences,
Calcutta (CSSSC), especially Dr. Dwaipayan Bhattacharya and Dr. Manabi Majumdar for
theirintellectualinputandassistance.OursinceregratitudegoestooursupervisorDr.Surajit
Mukhopadhyay of the CSSSC, whose guidance and feedback provided us with interesting
reflections for our case study.
WearegratefultoMr.SumanSinghofUNICEFKolkataandMr.DilipPalandMs.Subraata
of PRDD, government of West Bengal for their insights and suggestions. We extend our
thanks to Mr. Sandeep Sarkar, the District Coordinator of SRD and Mr. Rahul Mazumdar
of DIMI Centre in Purulia who have been a great help in understanding the project. Ms.
JharnaPandaneedsspecialmentionforhelpinguswithourresearchinthefieldandproviding
translations.
WearealsogratefultoallthePanchayatfunctionariesatSonathaliandBeko,whofacilitated
easyaccesstocommunitymembers.Wewouldbefailingourresponsibility,ifwedonotthank
themanycommunitymembersinSonathaliandBeko,whoallowedustoentertheirliveswith
greathospitalityandwarmth.
33333

Acronyms&Glossary
BPL Belowpovertyline
DFID DepartmentforInternationalDevelopment
DIMI DecentralisedInformationManagementInitiative
DPIMI DecentralisationPlanningandInformationManagementInitiative
GP Gram Panchayat(Village level Local Self Government)
GPFT Gram Panchayat FacilitatingTeam
GS GramSansad(Village Constituency)
GUS Gram Unnayan Samiti (Village Development Council)
HDI HumanDevelopmentIndex
IAY Indira Awaas Yojana (Subsidised Housing Scheme)
ICDS IntegratedChildDevelopmentServices
IFA Ironfolicacid
JSY Janani Suraksha Yojana (Scheme for the Protection of Mothers)
NGO NonGovernmentOrganisation
ORS OralRe-hydrationSolution
PRDD Panchayat and Rural Development Department
PRI Panchayati Raj Institution
PS Panchayat Samiti (Block level Local Self Government)
SC Scheduled Caste
SGRY Sampoorna Grameen Rozgar Yojana (Rural Employment Scheme)
SHG SelfHelpGroup
SRD StrengtheningRuralDecentralisation
ST ScheduledTribe
UNICEF UnitedNationsChildren’sFund
VEC VillageEducationCommittee
WBHDR WestBengalHumanDevelopmentReport
ZP ZilaParishad(DistrictlevelLocalSelfGovernment)
Karmee Worker
Moujas Revenuevillage
Pradhan Chairperson
Sanchalak Facilitator
Upa Pradhan ViceChairperson
Upa Samitis Subcommittees
44444

Foreword
The Knowledge Community on Children in India is a partnership between UNICEF and the
Government of India which aims to fill knowledge gaps and promote information-sharing on
policies and programmes related to children in India. In 2007, under the aegis of this initiative, 57
graduate students from India and across the world visited and documented projects focused on
child rights and development. Their fresh perspectives, commitment and hard work are reflected
in this series of case studies, which are published by UNICEF.
The case studies cover key sectors linked to children and development and address important
policy issues for children in India. These include: primary education, reproductive and child
health, water and sanitation, child development and nutrition, social exclusion and village planning.
Based on desk research and field work, these case studies tell the story of innovations in service
delivery, what works, why and under what conditions and put a human face to the successes
and challenges of development in India.
UNICEF recognises the potential and power of young people as drivers of change and future
leadership across the globe. As such, the KCCI Summer Internship Programme also aims to
develop a cadre of young research and development professionals with interest, commitment
and skills relating to child rights. UNICEF hopes to continue this collaboration with young
researchers, the Government of India, and various research partners, so as to bring fresh
perspectives and energy to development research and our ongoing efforts towards the fulfilment
of rights of women and children in India.
Representative
UNICEF India
55555

Executive Summary
The government programme of Strengthening Rural Decentralisation (SRD) focuses on the
establishment and implementation of pro-poor participatory planning for sustainable local
developmentinthesixmostbackwarddistrictsofWestBengal.SRDisaholisticprogramme
thatcoverslivelihoods,andsocialandinfrastructuralissues.UNICEF’sinvolvementisdirected
atthesocialdimensionsconcerningwomenandchilddevelopment.Theprogrammeisaprocess-
drivenexercisethatoperatesthroughtheexistingPanchayatiRajInstitutions(PRIs)aimingat
strengthenedruraldecentralisation.
Decentralisation or devolution of powers at the grassroots level is closely linked with local
democracy. Local democracy is seen as an important force towards transforming local
communities. Its community basis enhances participation, promotes ‘appropriate behaviour
development’andimprovespublicservicedeliveryleadingtosocialchange.Participationand
awarenessarecloselylinkedandseenasfundamentaltoaneffectivedecentralisedcommunity
process.
In this case study, an attempt is made to analyse whether the SRD intervention is bringing a
moreparticipatoryapproachtovillageplanningthatcanempowervillagerstotakepartintheir
owndevelopmentandenhanceawarenessonkeysocialindicators.Thefindingsandanalysis
suggestthattheongoingeffortsofSRDhavepositivelyaidedinimprovingoverallparticipation
and awareness.Another important achievement of the programme seems to be the catalytic
role of women as change-agents in the community.Also, a significant contribution of the
programme has been the effective monitoring by the people of service delivery through the
Panchayat and government line departments. At the same time, it was observed that the
programmeisconstrainedbyanumberofinterlockingissueslikeexistinghierarchicalpower
relations, asymmetrical information flows, cultural obstacles, lack of coordination between
differentlevelsofPRIfunctioningandinadequatecapacitybuilding.
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Statement of the Problem
StrengtheningRuralDecentralisation(SRD)isacollaborativeeffortbythePanchayatandthe
Rural Development Department (PRDD), government ofWest Bengal and the Department
forInternationalDevelopment(DFID),governmentoftheUnitedKingdom.Theprogramme,
as stated in the official publication on SRD, specifically aims at helping “secure over time,
more effective, accountable, pro-poor, rural decentralisation leading to sustainable
reduction in poverty in the rural areas of the state” (PRDD:2005).
The programme is an initiative towards a more bottom up approach, empowering both
PanchayatiRajInstitutions(PRIs)andthepeopletotakepartinaninvigorateddecentralisation
process that is directed at local development. A key element of SRD is the participatory
processofvillageplanningthatseekstoactivelyinvolvevillagersatthegrassrootsleveltotake
activepartinplanningfordevelopmentalchange.TheSRDinterventionisaholisticprogramme
thatcoverslivelihoods,andsocialandinfrastructuralissues.
UNICEF, which is involved in SRD under the Decentralised Planning and Information
Management Initiative (DPIMI), is primarily focusing on the social dimensions concerning
women and child development. This report will, therefore, assess the impact of the SRD
interventiononvillageplanningwithaviewtotransformingthebackwarddistrictofPuruliainto
achild-friendlydistrict.
Theemphasisisonexploringtherelationshipthatexistsbetweendevelopment,participation,
awarenessanddecentralisation.Inordertoevaluatetheimpactoftheprogramme,thefollowing
hypothesishasbeenputforward:
The SRD intervention is bringing a more participatory approach to village planning, which
empowers villagers to take part in their own development and enhances awareness on key
socialindicators.
77777

Background
Theoretical framework
Astheaimofthestudyistogainananalyticalunderstandingofthecomplexprocessesunderlying
the SRD intervention, some theoretical concepts will be used to inform the findings from the
field. The theoretical framework in the case study covers the participatory approach,
empowermentandtheimportanceofgeneratingawarenessonkeysocialindicators.
Theparticipatoryapproachandempowerment
The participatory approach to development can be seen as either “participation-as-a-means”
approach or “participation-as-an-end” approach. The “participation-as-an-end” approach
sees participation as a basic human right that should be accepted and supported as an end in
itselfandnotforitsresults.Theneedtothink,expressoneself,belongtoagroup,berecognised,
appreciatedandrespectedasaperson,andhavesomesayincrucialdecisionsaffectingone’s
life, are as essential to development as basic needs like eating and sleeping. Diaz-Bordenave
states that; “Participation is not a fringe benefit that authorities may grant as a concession
but every human being’s birthright that no authorities may deny or prevent” (Melkote
& Steeves, 2001:336pp).
The“participation-as-a-means”approachcanbevisualisedalongacontinuum:rangingfrom
attempts at mobilisation of people to cooperation in development activities, to empowering
people so that they may articulate and manage their own development. In the former, the
peoplemaynotbeexpectedtoparticipateinidentifyingtheproblemordesigningadevelopment
programme.Insuchsituations,participationbecomesshallow,reducedtoaprocesswhereby
peopleareextremelymanipulatedtoservetheendsofauthoritiesinchargeofsuchprograms
(Melkote & Steeves, 2001:337).
Therecentyearswithindevelopmentpracticehaveshownatrendtowardsalternative,highly
participatory, empowerment oriented approaches as an attempt to make development more
inclusiveand‘bottomup’.Participationasaprocessofempowermentemphasisesonmaking
individuals active in development programs and processes, where they can contribute with
ideas, take initiative, articulate their needs and problems and assert their autonomy (Melkote
& Steeves, 2001:337). Empowerment is a manifestation of social power at individual,
organisationalandcommunitylevel(Melkote&Steeves,2001:354pp).JoRowlandsdivides
empowermentintothreeoverlappingdimensions;personalempowerment(developingindividual
consciousnessandconfidencetoconfrontoppression);relationalempowerment(anincreased
88888

abilitytonegotiateandinfluencerelationaldecisions),collectiveempowerment(collectiveaction
at the local or higher level to change oppressive social structures) (Melkote & Steeves,
2001:36pp).
Whentalkingaboutparticipatoryapproaches,itisofgreatimportancetoconsiderandaddress
issuesofpowerandcontrolbytheauthorities,structuresofdependencyandpowerinequities
(Melkote&Steeves,2001:348pp).Similarly,itisimportanttoconsiderpowerandcontrolin
development theory and practice when discussing empowerment. Power can be seen as
constituted in a network of social relationships. Real change may, therefore, not be possible
unless power inequities are addressed between marginalised individuals and groups at the
grassroots and those who make policy and aid decisions.
As women’s roles are central to many development goals, it is important to consider their
views and interests, as much of past development aid has ignored or marginalized women as
an important catalyst in development (Melkote & Steeves, 2001:36). Since the mid 1980s,
the Gender and Development (GAD) approach has received increased attention within aid
agencies.TheGADapproachgoesbeyondthecreationofequalitybetweengenderstoquestion
theunderlyingassumptionsofthedominantsocial,economicandpoliticalstructuresthataccord
and perpetuate gender inequities (Melkote & Steeves, 2001:189pp).
UNICEF’s key social indicators
UNICEF’s mission is to ensure the rights and well being of children and develop ‘AWorld
FitforChildren’.Withinitsframework,UNICEFhassetupspecificobjectivestobeachieved
by 2007 in 17 backward districts of India. The aim is to develop these districts as national
models of child development through enhancing sector specific indicators of performance
(see Appendix for list of selected indicators). The strategy for meeting these objectives
include ensuring that all pregnant women receive sufficient ante and post natal support, that
allschools,healthcentresandICDScentresmeeta“childfriendly”criteria,allvillagesinthe
district complete a participatory planning process and monitor its progress, all potential
communicationchannelstofamilieseffectivelypromotekeybehaviours,andfinallythatblock
and district level functionaries efficiently plan and manage programmes and services for
children and women and monitor the results.
UNICEFsupportsthegovernment’seffortstowardsstrengtheningruraldecentralisationand
developinga“childfriendlydistrict”inPuruliathroughthevillageplanningexercise.Village
planning entails a series of exercises in which villagers assess their own situation, analyse it,
explorealternativesandpotentialactions,andfinallydevelopaplan,takeactionandmonitor
progress.UNICEFprioritiseswhatiscalled‘appropriatebehaviourdevelopment’becauseit
isseenasfundamentaltoaneffectivedecentralisedcommunityprocess.Participatoryplanning,
throughitsopeninformationflowsandinclusiveworking,isseenasaneffectualtooltogenerate
99999

communityawarenessonhealthandeducation,especiallywithregardtothespecialneedsof
womenandchildren.Anenhancedlevelofawarenessinthecommunityonsocialdevelopment
issues prepares the groundwork for improved social practices. Therefore, awareness, as
perceivedbyUNICEF,isnotsimplyanendinitselfbutanimportantmeanstoachieveabetter
futureforthewomanandthechild.
Decentralisation in West Bengal
Decentralisation is often linked to the concept of local democracy, but decentralisation is not
synonymouswithlocaldemocracyanddoesnotautomaticallyenhancepeople’sparticipation
(Majumdar and Banerjee, 2007:176). In fact, decentralisation can sometimes heighten the
concentration of power and discourage rather than foster participation among the under
privileged.Achievinggreaterdemocracyatthelocallevelmustbeacrucialcomponentofthe
broadertaskoftransformingthepracticeandqualityofdemocracyinIndia.Localdemocracy
can be an important force towards social change and is essential for effective and equitable
managementoflocalpublicservices.Theeffectivefunctioningoflocalpublicservices,services
thatarecrucialforthequalityoflife,dependsagreatdealontheresponsivenessoftheconcerned
authorities to popular demands (Dreze and Sen, 2002:358 pp).
At the time of India’s independence in 1947, there was a strong pressure to retain the pre-
independence system, but there were also those who emphasised the need for decentralised
andparticipatorygovernance.TheConstitutionofIndiaprovidedforademocraticsystemof
governancewithelectedgovernmentattheStateandCentre.Therewas,however,noobligatory
provision for establishing any elected government at the village level. It was left up to each
state to decide if institutions of local self-government, called ‘Panchayats’, should be set up
and the extent of powers they should be endowed with.
The 73rd
and 74th
amendments to the Constitution of India, 1992, declared the three-tier PRIs
andthemunicipalities,respectivelyasinstitutionsofself-government,implyingtheirrighttobe
treatedasautonomousinstitutions(Bandyopadhyayet.al,2003:3989).Throughthislegislation,
elections at five-year intervals and reservation of seats for women and members of the
Scheduled Castes and ScheduledTribes, is guaranteed.The amendments also identified the
main tasks of the Panchayat as making plans for economic development and social justice
and executing different schemes according to the plan (PRDD and SIPRD, 1993).
WestBengalisaforerunnerindecentralisation.Thestateinitiatedathree-tierPRIstructurein
1978,almost15yearsaheadofthecountry’swakinguptoaconstitutionalmandate.Itisoften
claimedthattheWestBengalPanchayatshaveinspiredandshownthewayfortheconstitutional
mandate. The basic act on Panchayats is theWest Bengal PanchayatAct of 1973. Regular
elections have been held for all levels of government in West Bengal since 1978. The year
1010101010

before, in 1977, the Left Front, a coalition of leftist parties led by the CPI (M)1
came into
power in the state. The politics of the new government marked a significant break with the
ruraldevelopmentstrategiesinmostoftheotherstatesoftheIndianUnion.InthecaseofWest
Bengal,however,D.Bhattacharyyahasidentifiedsomebottlenecksofdecentralisation;these
includelackofskillsandpersonnelinrunningtheday-to-dayactivitiesoftheGramPanchayats,
lackoftransparency,problemsrelatedtopartisansolidarity,problemsofresourcemobilisation
(thatleadershipisreluctanttoimposetaxation)andalsothattheGramUnnayanSamiti isnot
workinginanysignificantway,sofar(Bhattacharyya,2006:118pp).
Structure of governance in West Bengal
West Bengal has a clearly delineated and operational PRI structure.The Zilla Parishad(ZP)
isthehighesttierinthethree-tierPanchayatsystem.TheZPcorrespondstotheDistrictlevel.
The intermediate tier in the Panchayat System is the Panchayat Samiti (PS). For every
block (a development jurisdiction below Sub Division, which consists of about a hundred
villages) there is a PS.At the level of villages, there is theGram Panchayat (GP).The GPis
not necessarily the Panchayat of a single village and may include several moujas2
. The GP
members elect the Pradhan (Chairperson) and Upa Pradhan (Vice Chairperson) in the first
meeting of the GP. Elections, which are party-based, are held for all three tiers every five
years. Seats for members and office bearers of each tier are reserved by rotation for STs and
SCsonthebasisofthepopulationoftherespectivetier.Inadditiontotheelectedmembers,a
GPalso includes certain employees: ExecutiveAssistant (1), Secretary (1), JobAssistant (1)
andGPKarmee(2-3).ThedutiesoftheGPincludebothobligatoryfunctions,assignedfunctions
bythegovernmentanddiscretionaryfunctions.
ThemembersoftheconstitutionalGPbodyarealsomembersofdifferentUpaSamitis3
,each
undertheleadershipoftheirrespectiveSanchalak(facilitator).TheGPfunctionariesconvene
differenttypesofmeetingslikeordinarymeetings,emergencymeetings,speciallyconvened
meetings and requisition meetings. Funds for the functioning of the GP are collected from
various sources that include taxes, rates and fees, income (services rendered), grants/aid or
loansfromStateorCentralgovernment,giftsanddonations.
1
Communist Party of India (Marxist)
2
Revenue villages
3
Subject Committee: Finance and Planning, Agriculture and Animal Resources, Education and Public
Health, Women and Child Development and Social Welfare, and Industry and Infrastructure
1111111111

Figure 1: Model of the PRI structure in West Bengal
In 2003, the Government ofWest Bengal proposed the formation of Gram Unnayan Samiti
(GUS)4
for each Gram Sansad (GS)5
area. The GUS is the main executive body or
implementingagencyattheGSlevelinwhichallgovernmentandnon-governmentaleffortson
development issues converge. It is both a people’s institution and an agency of the GP.The
councilcomprisesofthePradhan,UpaPradhanandtherepresentativesofthepollingbooth
area, the nearest defeated contestant and five other villagers elected by the electorate in the
booth area. The GUS also consists of enriched civil society such as schoolteachers and
governmentemployeesandinaddition,employeesofothercommunity-basedorganisations
like self-help groups (SHGs)6
and NGO-workers. The role of the GUS is to guide and assist
theGPforpromotingbettereconomicdevelopment,livelihoodopportunitiesandsocialjustice
aimingtoadoptandimplementplanningforthepeoplebythepeople.
4
Village Development Councils
5
Electoral constituency within a Gram Panchayat
6
SHG is a small voluntary association of poor people, preferably from the same socio-economic background.
They come together for the purpose of solving their common problems through self-help and mutual
help.
1212121212

The PRI structure provides for people’s active participation in government.This takes place
through Gram Sabha7
and Gram Sansad (GS)8
meetings. The Gram Sansad was
introduced with the West Bengal Panchayat Act of 1992 and provides for all electors of a
constituency to meet twice a year, in May and November. The goal of the meetings is to
discuss local needs, suggest new programmes and allocate existing funds among competing
needs, the selection of beneficiaries of anti-poverty programmes and logistical issues
concerning sanctioned schemes, monitor and review the performance of elected
representatives regarding the implementation of public projects and the use of public funds
(Ghatak & Ghatak 2002). In the Gram Sabha, the suggestions of all Gram Sansads are
consideredandthenextcourseofactionisprioritised.TheGramSansadcanbecharacterised
as the most important institution for direct popular participation (Bandyopadhyay et. al,
2003:3990). The GP is statutorily bound to accept the suggestions made at theGramSansad
and Gram Sabha meetings.
Strengthening rural decentralisation
In keeping with long-term commitments to carry out reforms aimed at strengthening and
accelerating rural decentralisation, the seven year programme of Strengthening Rural
Decentralisation (SRD) was inaugurated on 1st
June 2005 by the Panchayat and Rural
Development Department (PRDD) of the government of West Bengal and DFID of the
governmentofUnitedKingdom.Initsfirstphase,theprogrammewaslaunchedinthesixmost
backward districts of West Bengal based on the Human Development Index (HDI). In the
secondphase,whichcommencesinthethirdyearoftheprogramme,SRDwillbeimplemented
in another six districts. Finally, in the third and last phase, SRD will reach out to another six
districtsintheprogramme’sfifthyearofimplementation.TheSRDprogrammecurrentlycovers
61 out of 170 GPs in Purulia.
SRD focuses on the establishment and implementation of pro-poor participatory planning,
mobilisation and utilisation of local resources for cost-effective and sustainable local
development. It aims at contributing to effective institutionalisation and capacity building of
PRIs and supports institutions in their decentralised roles. These efforts seek to improve the
livelihoodsofthepoorestandmostmarginalisedsectionsoftheruralpopulation.Theprogramme
is a process driven exercise. It aims for behavioural development of villagers in terms of
empoweringthemas‘change-agents’orsubjectsoftheirowndevelopmentratherthanobjects
of development. The aim is to make them capable of taking charge of their own situation
throughstrong,jointpartnershipsbetweencommunitiesandserviceproviders.
7
Meeting of voters of all constituencies within the Gram Panchayat
8
Meeting of only voters of a single constituency within the Gram Panchayat
1313131313

9
Global Information System emphasises on developing a digital spatial database, using the data sets
derived from precise navigation and imaging satellites, digitalisation of maps and transactional databases.
The programme’s basic outputs are focused broadly on two streams of activities, which
are also called the programme components. The first component is capacity building,
which aims at attitudinal development and enhancement of knowledge, awareness and
skills of PRI functionaries.An important aspect of this is to strengthen the voices of the
poor and increase the participation of women and disadvantaged groups. The second
component is the untied poverty fund that is meant to provide direct financial support for
the implementation of pro–poor participatory plans, which focus on both livelihood and
social development issues.
UNICEFgivesadditionalsupporttotheSRDprogrammeundertheDPIMIinitiative.DPIMI
focusesonempoweringthePRIstoaddresswomenandchilddevelopmentissuesrelatingto
theMillenniumDevelopmentGoals.ThegoalofDPIMIistoimprovethestateofchildrenand
womenwithafocusoneducation,health,nutrition,waterandsanitationthroughcommunity
initiativeandownershipinasustainablemannerandthroughtheintegrationofvariousefforts
converging on children and women. The objectives include installing community-based,
community-managed,community-ownedplanning,implementationandmonitoringprocesses
under the leadership of PRIs, and integrating the efforts of various government departments,
agenciesandinstitutionstoconvergeonwomenandchildrenfortheiroveralldevelopment.A
thirdobjectiveistodevelopaGIS9
basedinformationnetworkforenhancedinformationflow
betweenpeopleandinstitutions.
The SRD programme has four levels of planning in the district: at the GS level, at the GP
level,atthePSlevelandattheZPlevel.WhiletheSRDseekstoconcentrateonstrengthening
the planning for GSs and GPs in the first two years, the upper-tier Panchayats are to
provide help and support to the GPs.As yet, the GS level institutions are not empowered to
independently prepare and implement micro-planning initiatives. However, it is expected
that the government of West Bengal will further devolve its powers, funds and activities to
the GS level.
The first step of the programme, which is directly linked to activities at the GP level, is the
formationandtrainingofaGramPanchayatFacilitatingTeam(GPFT).Thisteamcomprises
of GUS members from every sansad in the Panchayat as well as the GP functionaries and
staff. Its main role is to ensure that that the planning process (preparation of GS maps, GS
plans) is conducted in a smooth and coordinated fashion, one that is clearly understandable
to all. The members usually intervene to solve any difficulties that may arise during the
process of planning and implementation and more importantly, are involved in the final
preparation of the GPplan.At the GS level, neighbourhood meetings are held, wherein the
1414141414

GUSdirectlyandthroughthesupportofSHGsinitiatesthevillageplanningprocesswiththe
community.Acrucial step in the preparation of village plans is the collection of individual,
household and section wise data by the community through these neighbourhood meetings.
At the same time, Social and Natural Resource maps are also made to supplement the
village plans. Communities identify, quantify, analyse and prioritise their own problems,
resources and potentials and work out holistic plans at GS level. This helps the GUS to
prepare a GS plan that addresses the crucial problems and essential requirements within the
community.This draft GS plan has to be approved in a GS meeting. On the basis of the GS
plans, a draft of the GP level plan is formulated and finalised.
Human development in West Bengal
Despite the progress made by the West Bengal Government in terms of institutionalising
effectivePRIfunctioning,theWestBengalHumanDevelopmentReportcallsforincreasing
local Panchayat roles in both public health and education systems. The report also states
that there are at least three aspects to a successful decentralised planning process that have
positive impact on human development (WBHDR,2004: 57pp). Firstly, mobilisation of the
common people in a planning exercise and Panchayat activities through awareness raising
measures such as health and vaccination campaigns and so on. Secondly, organisation or
institutionbuildingintermsofrelatingthethreeexistingofficiallyrecognisedlevelstoadhoc
and community-based institutions like the Gram committees, co-operatives and women’s
SHGs and the GSs, which require an official legal-institutional framework to support or
governtheiractivities.Thirdly,resourcegenerationforsustainableplanning,especiallyinthe
context of fiscal constraints wherein the Panchayats cannot expect large-scale resources
from the state government.
Regardingtheoverallstatusonhealthandeducation,theHumanDevelopmentReportofWest
Bengal reveals certain interesting facts about the state.West Bengal is one of the better states
in respect of broad health indicators when compared with the all India level, but nutritional
indicators in the state are relatively poor, especially for women and children. Furthermore,
serviceindicatorssuggestthatthereareimportantgapsandareasofconcerninhealthservice
delivery mechanisms and in the involvement of the community in the entire process of the
healthdeliverysystem(WBHDR,2004:137pp).
1515151515

Table 1: Human development indices in West Bengal
Health Income Education HDI HDI
Index Index Index Rank
Darjeeling 0.73 0.49 0.72 0.65 4
Jalpaiguri 0.61 0.38 0.60 0.53 10
Koch Behar 0.50 0.41 0.65 0.52 11
Dinajpur 0.62 0.39 0.53 0.51 13
Malda 0.49 0.36 0.48 0.44 17
Murshidabad 0.57 0.29 0.52 0.46 15
Birbhum 0.53 0.27 0.61 0.47 14
Bardhaman 0.74 0.47 0.71 0.64 5
Nadia 0.65 0.41 0.66 0.57 9
North 24 Parganas 0.72 0.49 0.76 0.66 3
Hugli 0.77 0.46 0.67 0.63 6
Bankura 0.67 0.26 0.62 0.52 11
Purulia 0.61 0.18 0.55 0.45 16
Medinipur 0.68 0.45 0.74 0.62 7
Haora 0.77 0.53 0.75 0.68 2
Kolkata 0.82 0.73 0.80 0.78 1
South 24 Parganas 0.71 0.40 0.68 0.60 8
WestBengal 0.70 0.43 0.69 0.61
Data source: West Bengal Human Development Report, 2004
In terms of preventive and community health, the Panchayat system has considerable
potential for mobilisation and ensuring effective vaccination and personal and community
cleanliness, which can contribute to the control of disease. But so far, this potential has
not fully been utilised in the state (WBHDR, 2004:135). The entire state of West Bengal
is dealing with a range of health issues like anaemia in children, arsenic poisoning, low
coverage of vaccines, and morbidity. Furthermore, teenage marriage and early pregnancy
tends to be associated with low birth weights, high infant mortality and high maternal
mortality (WBHDR, 2004: 120pp).
Concerningeducation,theindicatorsarewellbelowwhatcouldbeexpectedgiventhesocial
andpoliticalorientationoftherulingstategovernmentinthelasttwoandhalfdecadesinWest
Bengal(WBHDR,2004:9).Theliteracyrateisgenerallyconsideredtobeoneoftheimportant
indicatorsofthedevelopmentofapopulationandtheeducationlevelanimportantdeterminant
of the population’s quality of life.The West Bengal Human Development Report mentions
universaleducationandspecialattentiontotheeducationofwomenasbeingcriticalinimproving
the health practices of a community. Furthermore, it emphasises that universal education is
1616161616

likelytobenecessaryformeaningfulandeffectivedecentralisation,especiallywhenPanchayats
aregivengreaterresponsibilitiesforawiderangeofactivities(WBHDR,2004:145).
Development scenario in Purulia
Puruliadistrict,formerlyknownas‘Manbhum’districtundertheruleoftheEastIndiaCompany
(from 1765) was included in the state of West Bengal and given its current name in 1956.
Purulia is the westernmost district of West Bengal. The geographical area is 6,259 square
kilometres with a rural stretch of 6189.21 square kilometres and an urban stretch of 69.79
square kilometres. Due to undulated topography, nearly 50 per cent of the rainfall runs off,
making the entire district drought prone. In fact, it is covered under the ‘Drought ProneArea
Programme’10
.
Purulia district is divided into three sub-divisions called Purulia Sadar, Purulia West and
Raghunathpur, and has 20 blocks. In addition, there are 170 GPs and 1,911 GSs covering
2,685 moujas within the district (SIPRD, 2003).
Figure 2: Map of Purulia district
Source:DIMIcentre,Purulia
10
Drought Prone Area Programme covers soil and moisture conservation, aforestation and dry land
farming for the natural regeneration of the environment.
1717171717

The district has a total population of 2,535,516 (as per Census 2001), of whom 91 per cent
live in rural areas.Table 2 below shows that there is a relatively high proportion of Schedule
CasteandScheduleTribepopulationlivingintheruralareasofthedistrict.
Table 2: SC & STpopulation in Purulia (rural)
Scheduled Caste Scheduled Tribe
District
Male Female Total Male Female Total
Purulia(Rural) 209,575 199,131 408,706 231,508 225,065 456,573
(16.2%) (18%)
Data source: SIPRD, 2003
Intermsofhumandevelopmentindices,Puruliaranksverylowcomparedtootherdistrictsof
West Bengal and to the state as a whole (see table 1). In fact, on counts of both health and
education, Purulia ranks not only well below the national average, but also the state average.
Its poor human development status, especially on social or woman and child development
issues,hasnecessitatedinterventionsbybothgovernmentalandnon-governmentalorganisations.
Table 3 shows that families in Purulia have many children, women give birth at home with a
highproportionofunsafedeliveries,babiesarebornwithlowbirthweights,thepercentageof
immunizedchildrenislow,girlsgetmarriedatayoungageandaccesstopublichealthservices
is poor.
Table 3: Key indicators for Purulia on health issues
Key Indicator
Percentage of girls married below 18 years of age 74.4
Percentageofsafedelivery 35.3
Crude birth rate 26
Percentageofpregnantwomenwhohadtetanusinjectiontwice 82.2
Percentage of household having at least 3 or more children 48.5
Percentage of children immunized (DPT-3, Polio-3, BCG, Measles) 38
Percentage of underweight babies (below 2.5 kg) at birth 28
Totalnumberofinhabitedvillages 2468
NumberandpercentageofvillageshavingHealthCentres 40(1.6%)
NumberandpercentageofvillageshavingPrimaryHealthCentres 59(2.4%)
NumberandpercentageofvillageshavingPrimaryHealthCentre(<5km) 515(21%)
NumberandpercentageofvillageshavingPrimaryHealthSub-Centre 170(6.9%)
Data source: UNICEF Kolkata
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Table 4: Total literacy rate and latrine facilities
In 2001 Purulia (in %)
West Bengal Rank of Purulia
(in %) in State
Totalliteracyrate 56.14 69.22 15
Latrinefacilities 4.37 26.93 17
Source: SIPRD, 2003
In addition, in Purulia there are more children with grade 1 and 2 malnourishment (53.9%)
than there are children with normal weights (44.94%).Also, the literacy rate is quite low -
13.08 per cent, lower than the rest of the state11
(SIPRD, 2003). In keeping with the all India
scenario,whereinaccordingtotheNationalHumanDevelopmentReport(2001)amajorityof
India’s population does not have access to toilet facilities, Purulia ranks the lowest of the
districts inWest Bengal (see table 4).
11
According to the Census of India definition, the literacy rate is the proportion of literates to total
population of age seven and above.
1919191919

Methodology
For the field study, the team visited two GPs of Sonathali and Beko in the Kashipur block of
Purulia district (see figure 3).Within them, three villages (Koshjurhi, Lori and Pabra) of the
SonathaliGPandtwovillages(MyasaradihandBeko)ofBekoGPwerecovered.Theduration
of the fieldwork was twelve days
Figure 3: Map of Kashipur block
Source:DIMIcentre,Purulia
The selection of the GPs was done with the help of UNICEF, Kolkata and the PRDD,
governmentofWestBengalonthebasisofcertainkeyvariablesthatwouldhelpindocumenting
the intervention. Given that the case study explores the changes in the GPs under the SRD
intervention, the team sought to cover one GP where the SRD initiative was successfully
underway and another where such a process had not yet taken place. This non-SRD GP was
2020202020

thecontrolGP,inthatitservedasanimportantcounterpointtotheSRDGP.Besides,similarity
in demographic, social and geographic profiles, and manageable travelling distances were
essential considerations for the choice of GPs. Sonathali was an obvious choice, since it was
highlightedasaSRDsuccessstorybygovernmentofficials.
There were several choices for the control GP, but it was decided to select Beko as it has a
comparable demography and social composition in terms of SC and ST population and is
located at a favourably distance from Sonathali. Beko as the control GP provides a baseline
fortheresearchanalysisandtherefore,itwaspreferablethatitshouldnotbelocatedtooclose
to Sonathali, as the SRD intervention there could have spillover effect on neighbouring GPs
and hamper the comparison.
Sonathali and Beko Gram Panchayats
Sonathali and Beko GPs are divided into 11 and 13 GSs, respectively. The total number of
householdsis2,633inSonathaliand2,358inBeko.TheGPsarecomparableintermsoftotal
population, SC and ST population and literacy rate (see table 5)
Table 5: Population and literacy rate for Beko and Sonathali
Indicators
Beko Sonthali
Male Female Total Male Female Total
Population 7916 7562 15478 6891 6612 13503
Population 0-6 years 1012 950 1962 989 969 1958
SC Population (in %) 51.63 48.36 32.08 52.09 47.90 37.70
STPopulation(in%) 49.31 50.68 7.57 49.62 50.37 29.58
Literacyrate(in%) 84 55 69.80 77.10 42.90 60.40
Data source: DIMI centre, Purulia
Research tools
A variety of qualitative and quantitative research tools were used by the team to obtain a
holistic insight into the processes of decentralised local governance, regarding participation
andawarenessundertheSRDinitiative.QualitativedatawascollectedthroughFocusGroup
Discussions (FGDs) with the members of the GUSs, GPFT and SHGs, and primary school
children.Inaddition,semi-structuredinterviewswereconductedwithfrontlinefunctionariesof
the Panchayat, the ICDS centre, the Health centre, schools and key officials at the block and
districtlevel.Also,theteamcarriedoutsemi-structuredhouseholdinterviews.Inaddition,the
team held conversations with people on the streets including students, children, adolescent
2121212121

girls,womenandmen.AlltheinterviewsandFGDswiththevillagers,Panchayatlevelofficials
of the relevant line departments, and state administrative officers were in part arranged and
organisedbythehostinstitution,UNICEFKolkataandthePRDDofthegovernmentofWest
Bengal.FGDsweredeliberatelychosentoallowtherespondentstospeakfreelyonthecomplex
relationshipsandprocessesunderpinningtheSRDprogramme.Thisenabledtheteamtoanalyse
theintricaciesandsubtletiesoftheongoingprocesses.
For quantitative data, the study relies on the reports and statistics provided by UNICEF, the
DIMIcentreinPuruliaandSIPRDinKalyani.Theseservedasvaluableinputstosubstantiate
theresearch.ThehostresearchinstitutionalsofacilitatedthefieldworkinPurulia.
Research limitations
Limitationsinthisresearchstudyincludeashortageoftime,limitedsamplesize,unfamiliarity
withthelocalareaandlanguage,thestatusofbeingperceivedas‘outsiders’anduncertaintyas
towhatextentthefindingsinthefieldwereaffectedbytranslation.Additionally,sincetheteam
relied on the PRDD and UNICEF to organise access to the project area, the choice of GPs
was obviously not as objective, as desired.At the same time, most of the interviews, FGDs
andmeetingswereheldinopenpublicplaces,whichcaninfluenceandaffecttheresponsesof
the interviewees. The team found it impossible, both in terms of the time limit and given the
insufficient decentralisation of information at the GP or GS level, to gather enough concrete
data to back up our findings.
As this case study is based on a limited number of GPs, the findings have to be limited to the
study area and it would be incorrect to draw sweeping generalisations or make blanket
statements about the SRD programme.
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Presentation of Findings and Analysis
Awareness and service delivery
Overall, the team’s impression is that both in terms of awareness (on health and education)
and service delivery, Sonathali is better off than Beko. This may be attributed to the
implementation of SRD and the better performance of Panchayat officials. In Sonathali,
awareness on both health and education issues has been raised not just through the
participatory medium of mass and outreach campaigns and Mother TeacherAssociation
meetings, but also through the active initiative of Panchayat institutions, government
functionaries like the ICDS workers, and school teachers. Due to the concerted efforts of
the concerned health, education and Panchayat officials, these awareness drives have
positivelyimpactedthecommunity.Awarenessamongvillagersisleadingtoincreaseddemands
for social action and better service delivery at the community level. However, awareness is
notnecessarilytranslatingintoimprovedhygieneandhealthpracticesatthehouseholdlevel.
In this sense, the success of these campaigns and meetings has been limited. In Beko,
unfortunately, the Panchayat office has held no specific campaigns and meetings on health
and education. This effort mainly rests with health and school officials. Consequently, the
overall awareness in Beko remains abysmally low not only on concerns of health and
education, but also with regard to the basic delivery of essential services.
Water and hygiene
The incidence of water borne diseases is quite high in the areas visited. The general health
problemsprevailinginbothSonathaliandBekowerereported(bybothindividualsandofficials)
to be jaundice, typhoid, diarrhoea, viral fever, tuberculosis, measles and malaria. Many of
these diseases result from low access to safe and clean drinking water, poor handling and
purificationofwater,riskysanitarypracticesandundesirablehygienehabits.
Water scarcity remains a pressing issue in Sonathali.Acute water shortage means that there
is a huge demand for water, both for drinking and other purposes.According to the GPFT,
2-3 tubewells have been constructed in every GS area. Within the village of Koshjuri the
team saw at least one tubewell, but in Lori it was reported that the well dug by the GUS was
dry. Given its limited supply, villagers are often compelled to use water that is contaminated
and dirty. For example, although there is awareness about the importance of drinking and
using clean water in Sonathali, many villagers in Lori GS drink the river water and have
baths along with animals in the pond.Awareness about community issues like access to safe
and clean water seems to have led to an increased wakefulness and alertness in the villagers,
2323232323

who are demanding concrete action to resolve the problem, which in fact, affects the entire
district. Participatory plans have identified and raised the demand for water, but service
deliverybyvillageinstitutionssuchastheGPandGUSsonwaterissuesisstillunsatisfactory
and slow. Because the GUS and GPlack the technical expertise to construct tubewells on
theirown,theyhavetoconstantlyrelyontheblocklevelofficialstotakeaction.Consequently,
the work of the GUSs and GPs is impeded by this lack of coordination with block level
officials.ItisquiteobviousthatthePanchayatofficialshaveproblemsaddressingtheserious
issueoflackofwateradequately.Accesstosafeandcleandrinkingwater,therefore,remains
difficultforthevillagersofSonathali.
In Beko, the team found that drinking water is not such an acute problem. The Pradhan
reportedthattherearearound100tubewellswithintheGP.BothinBekoGSandMyasaradih
we saw such wells.There is still, however, a considerable demand for water.The supply of
pipedwaterisunsatisfactoryinthatthesupplytimingsareirregularandrestrictedtoonlyafew
hours per day. Like their counterparts in Sonathali, therefore, the Beko Panchayat officials
are not providing adequate service delivery with regard to water.
Based on the findings, it is evident that awareness alone does not necessarily nor sufficiently
transform into improved everyday practices, particularly in the context of a brief one year
span.WhilemostpeoplewetalkedtoinSonathaliunderstoodtheimportanceofgoodpersonal
hygiene habits relating to the handling of water (boiling of water, covering of stored water,
using a long handled mug to draw water from a container) and washing of hands, they were
unable to practically translate this awareness into their everyday behaviour. Despite the
knowledge that unhygienic personal habits may result in adverse consequences, it remains a
peripheral concern in the villager’s everyday existence. Since parents were unable to carry
through these habits in their normal lives, children do not pick up on them either. Given that
dailyliferemainsprecariousandpeople’slivesaredifficult,itisunderstandablethatpracticing
hygienicactionssuchaswashinghandswithsoapbeforeeatingandafterdefecation,keeping
drinkingwatercoveredatalltimesandensuringthatchildrenwillnotdiptheirdirtyfingersinto
thedrinkingwater,isdifficultandimpracticabletofollowthrough.
ThemainprobleminBeko,however,remainsthelevelofawarenessitself.InMyasaradihGS,
theteamfoundacompletelackofawarenessofgoodpersonalhygienepracticesrelatedtothe
handlingofwaterandwashingofhands.Itwasalsoobservedintheprimaryschoolthatsuch
habitshavenotbeenparticularlystresseduponbytheschoolofficialsasextremelyimportant
andworthyofcontinuoustraining.Infact,intheprimaryschoolmanychildrenwereobserved
washingtheirplatesinapoolofdirtywaterthatwasadjacenttotheschooltoilet.Thechildren
reported that their teachers have not explained to them that this is an extremely unhygienic
practice, one that can make them ill.
2424242424

Sanitation
In Sonathali, proper and affordable sanitation remains a difficult task at hand for Panchayat
functionariestoeffectivelyaddressandresolve.ThisisinconcurrencewithPurulia’sappalling
performanceintermsofaccesstosanitationfacilities,whereinitranksatthebottom(referto
Table4).Somefamilieshavetoiletsintheirhouses.ThePradhanreportedthat70-80household
toiletswereconstructedin2006.However,only60%ofthosehavingatoiletuseit.Whilethe
Panchayatofficialshaveaggressivelyorganisedawarenesscampaignstogenerateaheightened
consciousness about the necessity of safe and clean sanitary practices, they have not made
seriousheadwayinthisregard.Amajorreasonforthisfailureappearstobethatoldhabitsdie
hard, as villagers prefer the comfort zone of defecating in the open fields. Interestingly, the
GPFT explained to us that there is socialising involved in defecation/urination. Men enjoy
talkingandhavingtobaccotogetherwhilegoingouttothefieldstodefecate.Thisisaningrained
wayoflifeanditisaculturalhabitnoteasilycompatiblewiththeuseoftoilets.Itisextremely
difficult to encourage the villagers to use good sanitary habits, since most of them cannot
understandthesignificanceintheirordinarylives.Evennow,peopledonotfeelanyneedfor
toiletfacilitiesinthecommunityasawhole.Forexample,eventhosethathavetoiletsconstructed
in their households under the IndiraAwaas Yojana (IAY)12
government programme, refuse
to use them.At the same time, the government scheme of the Rs.225 toilet facility for BPL
families has not been met with much enthusiasm, as most families want toilets of a better
quality.As explained by the Pradhan of Sonathali herself, of the 32 toilets constructed in
Kooltora GS, only five families use them now.The reason for this is that water provision is
lackingandwaterhastobeprocuredfromafaroffpond.Also,attheschoolsandattheICDS
centres in the Panchayat, toilet facilities are inferior as well as grossly inadequate given the
sheernumbersofstudents.Buthavingsaidthis,womenespecially,areincreasinglyraisingthe
demandforcommunitytoiletsastheyaretremendouslyinconveniencedbytheexistingstateof
affairs.Also, many children are using the toilets at school due to the persuasive action of the
school officials and ICDS workers.
InBeko,someprogresshasbeenmadeintermsoftoiletprovisionsinindividualhomesunder
various government schemes like the Indira Awas Yojana, Sampoorna Grameen Rozgar
Yojana13
.Around 40% of the households in the GPhave latrines. In Myasaradih there is a
toiletattheprimaryschool.Thereare,however,nohouseholdtoilets.AsisthecaseinSonathali,
itsutilisationisverylow.Herealsomostvillagersfeelmentallyuneasyusingtoilets.Although
the women have expressed a need for toilets, no formal demand to the Panchayat and GUS
has been made.Awareness on the necessity of safe and clean sanitary practices is abysmally
12
The objective of the central government scheme of Indira Awaas Yojana is primarily to help in the
construction of dwelling units for members of Scheduled Castes/Schedule Tribes, freed bonded labourers
and also non- SC/ST rural population below the poverty line by providing them with a grant-in-aid.
13
The objective of the central government scheme the Sampoorna Grameen Rozgar Yogana is to provide
food security, additional wage-employment and infrastructure to poor rural areas in the country.
2525252525

low and having a toilet and using it remains a marginal concern for the village community.
SimilartothecaseofSonathali,thestaffattheprimaryschoolandtheICDScentreinMyasaradih
GSismakingeffortstoencouragetoilettrainingamongchildren.Butitisprovingtobeextremely
difficulttochangetheirhabits.Childrenalsofeeluncomfortableusingtoiletsbecausetheydo
nothavesuchfacilitiesathomeandconsiderthemdirty.
Women and children
AwarenesslevelsinSonathaliwerealsoquitehighonissuesconcerningthehealthofwomen
andchildren.However,knowledgeaboutthebenefits/necessityofconsumingironfolicacid
tablets,breastfeeding,useofinstitutionaldelivery,familyplanningandavoidingearlypregnancy
does not seem to translate into conscious practices in everyday life.
Regardingironfolicacid(IFA)tablets,wefoundthatmostwomeninbothLoriandKoshjurhi
GSs recognised their importance for good health and well being, but reported that they still
do not consume the tablets because they induce nausea. Most mothers breastfeed their
childrenandacknowledgethehealthgivingpropertiesofbreastmilk,butsomewomeninthe
SHGs of Lori GS do not feed their children colostrum, because of its colour. The milk
secreted for a few days after delivery is sometimes yellow rather than white. This milk,
however, has a high protein and antibody content and is very important for the newborn.
According to the Pradhan of Sonathali, institutional deliveries are increasing considerably
in the Panchayat and stand at around 40-50 per cent. The Janani Suraksha Yojana14
(JSY) as an added incentive by the government is proving to be quite popular with BPL
familiesofwhichtherearemanyinSonathali.However,mostmothersstilldeliverchildrenat
home with the help of trained ‘Dais’15
. Even here, strong cultural practices prevailing in the
communitypreventmanymothersfromseekinginstitutionaldelivery.Itisonlyatthetimeof
pregnancy-related complications that mothers go to hospitals or health sub-centres for
delivery.There is full knowledge of family planning methods and safe sex methods like oral
contraceptivesandcondomsamongvillagersintheGP,butitsuseisminimal.Thisisbecause
family planning is a non-issue in the male-dominated village community.There is a strong
preference for a male child to be born in the family and contraceptive measures are not
takenuntilamalechildisborn.EarlymarriageiscommonplaceinSonathali,asmostparents
see the girl child as an additional financial burden on the family. Pregnancy usually happens
within a year or two of marriage. However, many mothers did not seem too concerned with
the complications that may arise with early pregnancy.
14
The objective of the central government scheme the Janani Suraksha Yojana is to reduce overall infant
and maternal mortality rates as well increase institutional deliveries in BPL families by providing an
incentive of cash assistance for antenatal care, institutional care during delivery and immediate post-
partum period in a health centre.
15
A ‘Dai’ is a traditional (often untrained) birth attendant.
2626262626

In Beko, by contrast, there is a shockingly low awareness on maternal and child health. The
ICDS worker in Myasaradih GS explained that while most women regularly receive IFA
tablets,theseareusuallystackedaway,asthepillsstimulateanauseousfeeling.Thewomenof
the SHGs of Myasaradih GS did not have any knowledge of the fact that the ICDS workers
stocks up on essential medicines and tablets like IFA tablets, paracetamol and metrogil.
BreastfeedingisanormalpracticeamongallmothersinMyasaradihGS,butinstitutionaldelivery
remains very low. Most mothers deliver their child at home on unprotected and exposed
ground,usuallywiththehelpofuntrained‘Dais’.ThisfullyreinforcesUNICEF’sfindingsthat
only one out of three deliveries is safe in Purulia (refer to Table 3). This type of delivery
happeninginBekomakesthechildextremelyvulnerabletoinfectionsanddiseasesrightfrom
the time of birth. Only when facing pregnancy-related complications, are mothers taken to
hospital or the Health Sub-Centre located in Beko. Most mothers disclosed that they do not
practicefamilyplanningandsafesex.Besides,earlymarriageandtheresultingearlypregnancy
isquiteanormalpracticeinthevillagecommunity.Also,thefindingsonthisissuecorrespond
with UNICEF indicators, which point to the very high percentage of girls who are married
below at the age of 18 years (refer to Table 3).
Education
Awareness on education matters is quite good in Sonathali.There is wide consensus among
community members about the valuable contribution of education in improving the lives of
children in the community.The headmaster of the primary school in Koshjurhi confidently
proclaimed that there is a zero dropout rate in the GS and even the Pradhan reported a zero
dropoutrateforthewholePanchayat.InKoshjurhiGS,thereare141childrenenrolledinthe
primaryschool. AwarenesscampaignsbyPanchayatandschoolofficialsonthesignificanceof
basiceducationtosecurethefutureforallchildrenhavegreatlyhelpedinincreasingnotonly
enrolmentrates,butalsoensuringregularattendance.
Most of the villagers, SHG members and school officials in Koshjurhi and Lori GSs
emphasisedtheimportanceofthemid-daymealinattractingandretainingchildreninprimary
school. But institutional problems like poor standard of teaching and irregular supply of
books hamper the positive progress made in raising educational consciousness in the
community.At the same time, problems of absenteeism at school remain. Rather than going
to school, many children either accompany their parents to the field or are forced to stay at
home while parents go out for work.At home, they are either engaged in domestic chores or
have to look after their younger siblings. In this sense, proactive parental involvement
continues to pose a difficulty in ensuring that children attend school or do their homework
onadailybasis.Besides,mostparentsdonottaketheirchild’ssecondaryeducationseriously.
At that time, most children drop out of school because they have to seek work in order to
supplementthefamily’sincome.
2727272727

At the primary school in Beko GP, 361 children are enrolled and 8 teachers are employed
there. In Myasaradih GS, the number of children in the primary school is 54 and there are 2
teachers.TheheadmasteratBekoprimaryschoolreporteda5percentdropoutrate.Awareness
oneducationalissuesinBekoisappalling.Theteamfoundthatdespiteaprocessiontakenout
bytheprimaryschoolofficialsinMyasaradihGSontheimportanceofeducation,awareness
remains very low. There is a severe problem of parental negligence, in that parents do not
display active interest in their child’s education.This affects the regular school attendance of
children.Sinceissuesofdailysustenanceloomlargeoverpeople’sminds,educationbecomes
anafter-thought,somethingofminorimportanceintheirlives.Childrenreceiveminimalparental
guidance at home and, therefore, their learning skills are quite poor.Also in Beko, there are
seriousinstitutionalconstraintslikeirregularsupplyofbooksandcrampedinfrastructure,which
impedethefullimpactofeducationalinitiativesonyoungchildren.
Regarding the specific topic of sex education, the team had an informative chat with three
adolescentgirlsinKoshjurhiGSofSonathali.Theyinformedusthattheirteachersneithergive
themsexeducationclassesnorbooksonthesubject,eventhoughitisapartofthecurriculum.
The explanation was that they would become precocious if they were taught this subject
matter. Even the ICDS worker has not broached them on this issue.The team presumes that
theexamplegivenbythesethreegirlsisnotparticulartoKoshjurhiGS.Itshowshowcultural
norms hinder children from acquiring awareness and developing appropriate behaviour on a
matterthatisveryimportanttotheirdevelopment.
ICDS centre
RegardingtheservicedeliveryofICDScentrestherearemanyconstraints,bothinSonathali
and in Beko. In Sonathali, there are a total of 22 ICDS centres. In Pabra GS, the ICDS
workerreportedthatsheishighlyoverburdened,asshefeelsthatshehastheresponsibilityfor
too many beneficiaries. She has to cover 4 moujas whose total population is more than 5000
inhabitants. This includes 143 children between the ages of 0 and 3 and 59 children between
3and6.Therearearound48childrencomingtothecentreonaregularbasis.Althoughsheis
tremendouslymotivatedbyherjob,shefeelssheisunabletodojusticetoherwork.Sheis,for
instance,notabletoundertakethemandatorymonthlyweighingofchildren,norissheableto
go for regular home visits. She only visits those homes where a child is quite unwell or has
missedavaccinationdateorwherethereisapregnant/expecting/nursingmother.Additionally,
sincethereisnoseparatebuildingtohousetheICDScentre,sheisforcedtoteachthechildren
andgivethemfoodattheprimaryschool.Thereis,asfarastheteamknows,noproblemwith
theavailabilityoffoodsuppliesandnoproblemregardingitstimelyarrival.
InBeko,theproblemismoresevere.TheICDS-centreinMyasaradihcovers96familieswith
53 children between 0 and 6 years of age. There are about 20 children coming to the centre
every day and the ICDS worker reported serving food to 40-45 children and mothers every
2828282828

day. The team found that the ICDS centre in Myasaradih GS is malfunctioning. The ICDS
workerdoesnotseemtodistributemedicinestovillagers.Manyvillagersattestedthatshehas
the medicines, but does not distribute them when needed. The team discovered no similar
problems regarding the medicine supply in Sonathali. In Beko, it was also reported that no
pre-primary school teaching takes place at the ICDS-centre. When we visited the centre and
asked the children to recite a poem or sing a song for us, they could not.At the same time,
when the ICDS worker herself started singing, it was obvious to us, from the look on the
childrenfaces,thatthiswasthefirsttimetheyheardtheirteachersing.Theheadmistressofthe
primaryschoolexplainedthatsincechildrenattheICDScentrearenottaughtbasicalphabets
or numbers, the teachers are forced to conduct pre-primary level classes for their students.
Thistremendouslyincreasestheiralreadyheavyworkload.
Participation
Preparation of plans
InSonathali,participatoryplanninghasencouragedmoreofacommunityeffortthaninBeko,
wherenosuchinitiativehastakenplace.InSonathali,procedureslikecollectionofdatafrom
householdsaboutexistingamenities,urgentrequirementsandnaggingproblemsatneighbourhood
meetingsacrosstheGSisprovingtobepopular.Thisisbecausevillagersarenowabletofully
express their felt needs and demands and later prioritise them in concrete plans of village
development.Inaddition,participationatthegrassrootsinstitutionallevelsuchastheGUSis
truly representative in character. In both Koshjurhi and Lori GSs, every section of village
organisationincludingtheICDS,SHGs,commonvoters,VillageEducationCommittee(VEC)
members, primary school teachers, and NGOs are brought together from almost every
neighbourhoodwithintheGStoformulatevillageplansforthebenefitoftheentirecommunity.
This committee works in active coordination with the members of the Upa-Samitis to carry
out the planning process. So, adequate institutional platforms for participation are firmly in
placeinSonathali,whereininitiativesforthevillagecommunityarecarriedoutthroughthese
representative organisations.Although almost the same representative institutional structure
exists in Beko, they are not empowered to the same extent. The GUS of Myasaradih of Beko
GP, unlike its counterpart in Sonathali, is not actively concerned in planning and prioritising
developmental work at the grassroots level. It plays the role of an executor, ensuring the
smooth implementation ofPanchayat work in the GSs.
Attendance at meetings
Discussions with the GPFT, GUS members and the Pradhan of Sonathali made it apparent
that participation of ordinary villagers has steadfastly increased with the onset of the SRD
Programme. This presence of villagers is not just restricted to the participatory planning
processes, but has evolved into enthusiastic attendance at meetings concerning community
affairs. This keenness and interest of villagers in community affairs is displayed in their
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participation levels that hover around 60-65 per cent in the convened GP and GS meetings
of Sonathali. Moreover, village participation is inclusive, in that the disadvantaged groups
like women and the poor are attending more than ever before. In Koshjurhi, the GUS-
members spoke of how women are now actively and increasingly taking part in the GS and
neighbourhood meetings, where they raise their voices on common problems, issues and
difficultiesliketheconstructionoftoiletfacilitiesortubewells,confrontingvillagersonaday-
to-day basis.At the same time, the poorest sections of the village community are turning out
in large numbers, as they have a greater stake in such meetings that can directly influence
and affect their lives. However, since attendance is not compulsory, but rather on a voluntary
basistherearealsothosevillagers,whocaughtupintheirdailystruggleforexistence,remain
apathetic and indifferent to community issues.
But in Beko, as confirmed by the Pradhan himself, the general attendance levels at GS and
GPmeetingsareextremelypooraveragingaround20-30percent,justbarelyovertherequired
quorum of 10 per cent. Participation in overall village affairs is at a minimum and extremely
restricted in scope. It was explained to us by the women of Myasaradih GS that participation
islimitedtomalesandselectgroupslikepartyworkers.Thewomenforthemostpart,remain
occupiedwithdomesticresponsibilitiesathome.Ingeneral,themajorityofthevillagerswho
donotattendmeetingsareengagedinworkinthefields.ItisapparentthatattendingPanchayat
meetingsisnotapriorityforthecommonvillagers.
Favouritism
Regardingplanningforcommunitydevelopment,themembersoftheGUSKoshjurhiandLori
complainedaboutbeingchargedoffavouritism,biasesandpreferentialtreatmentbythevillagers.
In both GSs, random people on the streets reported that community plans favour certain
householdsorindividualswithinthePanchayat.Inthissense,itisseennottobenefittheentire
villagecommunity.Alongwiththis,thecomplaintwasthatparty-workersprimarilydecideon
village plans, accruing its benefits for themselves. But these accusations do not appear to be
impedingtheparticipatoryprocessalreadyunderwayinSonathali.Althoughtherearethosein
thevillagecommunitywhoareindifferent,apatheticandunconcernedaboutcommunitymatters,
therearealsothosewhoaregenuinelyinterestedinbringingaboutachangeinthecommunity.
In fact, thePradhanherself clarified that the SRD programme has fostered a greater sense of
community and that villagers are taking a keen interest in their own lot. The programme has
increased village unity and bonhomie and strengthened ties and bonds among the villagers.
Rather than leading their own narrow, self-interested lives, they are actively participating in
community activities and affairs. There is also an enhanced awareness on key community
mattersandissues,whereinwomenareeagerlyraisingtheirvoicesoncommonconcerns.
In Beko too, the same allegations ofPanchayat work and efforts being based on favouritism
for friends, family or well-wishers prevails.To a much greater extent than in Sonathali, the
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villagersexpressedafeelingthatPanchayatmembersareleastbotheredaboutthewelfareof
the village people, because they are busy securing benefits and privileges for themselves.
Here, these allegations are in fact preventing the participation of the villagers. Since no work
has been done by the GP for improving the overall situation in thePanchayat,mostvillagers
seemuninterestedinattendingGP/GUSmeetings.Consequently,onlythosewhoarelikelyto
benefit from their direct involvement inPanchayat work attend the GP or GUS meetings.
Decision-making
Unlike in Sonathali, where the villagers are provided an opportunity to plan for community
development,nosuchparticipatorychannelsexistinBeko.Thishierarchicalbiasindecision-
making on planning issues leaves no room for the common villager to make suggestions for
future plans of action. It remains a top-down decision-making process, wherein the GP body
(comprisingoftheelectedmembersofeveryGS),onayearlybasis,finalisesalltheworkthat
is to be carried out in the Panchayat.
People’s participation is fairly limited in Sonathali, when one considers their actual power to
make decisions. The members of GUS in Lori explained that although the priorities in the
planningprocessareidentifiedonthebasisoftheneedsofthevillagersthemselves,theGUS
membersadmittedtohavingthelastwordintermsofactualdecision-makingonfinalisingsuch
priorities.So,whilethevillagersareactivelyinformedofwhatisbeingplanned,whyitisbeing
plannedandhowitwillbeimplemented,therealdecision-makingpowerultimatelyrestswith
the committee. It decides on behalf of the entire community the so-called common good or
welfare.Thecommitteealsofinallydecidesthecollectivelyidentifiedbeneficiariesofwelfare
provisions.InSonathali,thewomenmembersoftheLoriGUSseemtohavenorealpowerto
make decisions. The women are unequal partners in the committee. Their male co-workers
delegateresponsibilitytothem.Tousethewordsofamalecommitteemember,“Wegivethem
[the women] responsibility”. Male members determine what roles and responsibilities their
female counterparts will have and the women as passive role-bearers seem to perform no
substantive role in this committee. In this sense, the committee has a very pronounced male
dominancy.Butmoreimportantly,itpointstothefactthatitispaternaldispensationthatmarks
thedelegationofresponsibilitiesbothwithinthecommittee,andwithinthecommunity.Positive
developmentsforwomen’sempowermentaretakingplace,butthereareconstraints.Mostof
the members of the women SHGs in Koshjurhi acknowledged that more than ever before,
women’svoicesarebeingheardandthemeninthevillagearetakingtheiragendasandissues
seriously.However,theyexpressedaconcernthattheiropinionsandviewsneverreallycarry
any weight, as most of the time their needs and demands are totally overlooked and remain
unaddressed. The women also spoke about the snide remarks made by their male family
members belittling their work and participation in GS or SHG meetings. In this respect, the
village community is not in reality, cooperative and forthcoming in encouraging women’s
initiatives.Therefore,hierarchicalpowerstructureslikepatriarchyandprevailingpowerroles
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ofpaternalismseemtoplayadeterminingroleintheabilityofindividualstotakedecisionsthat
criticallyaffecttheirlives.
Inthesameway,thefemalemembersofMyasaradihGUSinBekoforthemostpart,seemto
remain quiet, not participating in the ongoing discussions. This was at least the case in the
meetingoftheteamwiththeGUSmembers.Theteam’simpressionisthatwomendonotplay
any active or specific role in the committee. They also expressed a lack of interest in village
developmentwork.Thereisvisiblemaledomination.Womenspokeofhowalldecisionsare
finallytakenbythemalefolk.Thisincludesdecisionsonwhatissuesaretobetakenupbythe
Panchayat.
Long-term development
AlthoughSRDhasincreasedparticipationinitsshorttimespan,thishasnotyetyieldedsubstantial
developmentalchangeinSonathali.TheplansfortheGSsofKoshjurhiandLoriarepiecemeal
andshorttermintheirobjectives,lackingalong-termvisionofvillagedevelopment.Mostof
the items of planning in both GSs relate to the distribution of books and blankets to the poor,
houseandroadrepairing,cleaningofponds,smokelesschimneys,andconstructionoftubewells
with platforms, building of wells and so on. Planning is directed more towards addressing
immediateneedsratherthantherealisationoffutureobjectivesconcerningsocialdevelopment.
TheUntiedPovertyFundisbeingusedtoprovidetemporaryreliefandsuccourtothepoor(in
terms of covering transportation costs in times of medical emergency, providing free books
andclothes)ratherthanaddressingtheirlong-termsocialdevelopment.Moreover,plansmade
lack a strategic aim for the future, in that prioritisation for specific target groups and areas is
inadequate. This is further constrained by considerations of sufficient budget allocations.
Consequently, there is a wide gap between plans made and plans implemented, resulting in
slowandsluggishprogresstowardstheachievementofholisticvillagedevelopment.
The developmental situation in Beko is quite dismal. The Pradhan himself explained that
village development is limited to the construction, maintenance and repairing of tubewells,
buildingofpondsandirrigationcanals,repairingofroads,providingandmaintainingthenecessary
infrastructureforICDScentresandschools.Onspecificsocialdevelopmentissueslikehealth
andeducation,nospecialeffortshavebeenundertaken.Onsanitation,however,someprogress
has been made, especially with governmental schemes such as theIndiraAwas Yojana, and
the Sampoorna Grameen Rojgar Yojana.
Capacitybuilding
WiththeintroductionofSRD,therehasbeenaperceptiblechangeintherolesandresponsibilities
ofthePanchayatfunctionaries.ThePanchayatofficialsinSonathalisaidthattheworkofthe
GPis not only taken seriously, but is viewed as critical to the overall operation of the PRIs in
thestate.ThePradhanofSonathaliaffirmativelyspokeofthechangedroleofthePanchayat
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office,withitsmainfunctionbeingtheoverseeingandmonitoringofthevillageplanningprocess
in the entire Panchayat.
However,manymembersoftheGPFTfeltthattheylackedclearunderstandingoftheirexpected
rolesandresponsibilities.Therewasagreatdealofconfusionregardingwhethertheyfunction
as GPFTworkers or as GUS members in the discharge of their duties. Similarly, many GUS
members in Sonathali are uncertain and apprehensive about what their new roles and
responsibilities entail. The knowledge of GUS functions is also limited among the elected
members themselves. Both in Koshjurhi and Lori GSs, the GUS members are unsure about
thestructureandcompositionofthecommitteeandreferredtotheirbookinthisregard.Their
understandingoftherationaleandpurposeoftheSRDinterventionisalsolimited.Consequently,
they seemed to lack a definitive purpose or a shared vision of the common goal of village
development and did not appear to be a cohesive and well-knit executive body.
InBekotoo,poorunderstandingofexpectedrolesandresponsibilitiesoflocallevelfunctionaries
prevail. Whereas the problem in Sonathali is about getting familiarised and well acquainted
withtheirnewrolesandtheincumbentresponsibilities,theprobleminBekoisfarmoresevere.
WefoundthatkeyknowledgeaboutthestructureandcompositionoftheGPandthefunctions
oftheGPandGUSwascompletelylackingamongthefunctionaries.Therationaleforformation
of the GUS is unknown to the members themselves and they could not state their roles and
responsibilities as a team. Many of the members themselves, especially the general voters,
were unaware of the fact that they are members of this committee. The secretary of the GUS
himselfstatedthattheGSmeetingsareheldeverythreemonths,wheninfactitisonlytwicea
year. Besides, the chairman of the GUS in Myasaradih could not distinguish between the GS
andthevillage.Littlewonder,then,thatthelocallevelofficialsareinefficientindischargingtheir
duties,lackingbothconcernforthegeneralwellbeingofthevillagersandthewillordesireto
perform their duties. What makes the difference in Sonathali is exactly this. The members,
although not completely aware of what they are expected or supposed to do, are still striving
to do their best. Their sense of commitment to the task at hand makes them not only take a
keeninterestintheirworkbutalsotobebetterinformedaboutthegeneralstateofaffairsinthe
Panchayat.InBeko,aviciouscircleseemstohavedeveloped.Becausetheelectedmembers
are uninterested in performing their duties, they lack any knowledge whatsoever about PRI
functioning.Thiseventuallyleadstoanevenpoorerperformance.
Another problem in terms of capacity building of PRIs is that GPs are not empowered to
effectivelyraiselocalresourceslikecollectingtaxes.ThePradhanofSonathaliandtheGUS
members of Koshjurhi and Lori emphatically emphasised the fact that they are not in a full-
fledgedpositiontoraiselocalresourcestofundcommunitydevelopmentschemes.AstheGPs
arenotfinanciallyself-sufficient,theyoftenhavetorelyonfunds(whicharesometimesuntimely)
dispatchedbytheblockofficialsfortheirdevelopmentalactivities.Thisincreasedrelianceof
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16
As DPIMI/SRD is not implemented in all GPs under a block, regular review meetings at block level do
not include monitoring of the SRD programme.
GPs, both technically and financially, on an already burdened block seriously affects the
effectiveness of the GPs operations. But positive moves have been made in this direction
throughthecollectionofthehouseregistrationfee.TheGPfunctionariesinBekoalsoreported
that local funds forPanchayat activities are procured exclusively from the block.
Since in the initial phase, the block is not engaged in the programme monitoring of the SRD
programme16
,theGPdoesnotgetthenecessarybackupsupportitneedsforefficientfunctioning.
This has proved to be highly problematic as the GP is heavily dependent and reliant on the
block level officials for its overall working. GPs depend crucially on the intervention of the
block, as they are yet to be fully equipped to take charge of all matters at the grassroots level.
Therefore,theactiveinvolvementandsupportoftheblockbecomesimperativeinanyinitiative
at the GP level. Consequently, the lack of coordination between the block and the GP is
seriouslyaffectingtheperformanceoftheSRDprogramme.Theproliferationofprogrammes
andschemesinitiatedbythegovernmentliketheSRDprogrammehasmeantanoverburdened
workloadforgrassrootsinstitutionsthataresaddledwithtoomanybureaucraticresponsibilities
in terms of increased and overwhelming paperwork like preparation of weekly and monthly
reportstobesubmittedtothedifferentlinedepartmentofficialsattheblocklevel.Additionally,
the SRD programme’s requirement of data collection and collation on a regular basis is too
exhaustiveandunending,makingitanextremelytediousprocessforallPanchayatfunctionaries.
For example, they have to collect data from every household in the GS for almost 1,500
categories.Thislengthyandexhaustivedatacollectioncomprisesofeconomicaspects(sizeof
landholding,natureofemployment,numberoflivestock),demographicpatterns(numberof
family members, number of school going children in the family, number of migrants in the
family) and best practices (whether mothers are breastfeeding their children, whether family
membersareusingtoilets,useofiodisedsaltinfood)andsoon. Consequently,theGPoffice
isnotinapositiontoeffectivelymonitoralltheactivitiesoftheGP.Thereistoomuchpressure
being exerted on the GPthat lacks the manpower, financial and technological resources to
takefullchargeofsuchmatters.
However, this pressure can be eased and reliance on higher agencies can be reduced, if the
structure and functioning of the GUS is made stronger and more effective in terms of service
deliveryliketheconstructionoftubewells,roadrepairingandsoon.TheGUSisnotyetfully
empoweredtotakechargeofmicro-leveldevelopmentschemesanditspotentialcapacityfor
effectivelydeliveringservicesandinitiatingdevelopmentalchangeatthelocallevelneedstobe
properlyutilisedinthefuture.Inordertomakethispossibleitisimportanttoensurethateach
GUSmembercandofulljusticetotheirposition.GUSworkinSonathaliisprimarilybasedon
voluntary service and members remain unmotivated and reluctant to take up a responsibility
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thatdoesnotpay.Asaresult,membersarebusywithotherremunerativeengagements,which
leave them with less time to perform tasks in the role of GUS member. Therefore, the
performancelevelsremainquitelow.Additionally,thePradhanofSonathaliopinedthatgiven
theextremelylowlevelsofliteracy,ahugetaskathandremainstheabilityofSHGsandother
villageorganisationsliketheGUSandVECtofollowthenormsandtechnicalitiesinvolvedin
regular group updates like drawing up of cash books, auditing of expenditure and so on.
Self help groups
AsignificantaspectoftheSRDinterventionistheencouragementofwomen’sinitiativesand
enterprisethroughthemediumofSHGs.MostoftheSHGsinSonathaliwereformedpriorto
theimplementationoftheSRD.Theywere,however,formedthroughgovernmentalinterventions
ratherthanbeingspontaneouslyconceived.Apreliminaryclose-upofgroupactivitiesinSonathali
revealedthattheSHGsaremakingimportantcontributionstocommunityaffairsthroughtheir
activeinvolvementinPanchayats.Theyarenotonlywellinformedaboutvillageaffairs,but
also act upon this knowledge in a concerted manner. For example, they are not just aware of
the number of “out-of-school” children or children who have not been vaccinated but also
ensurebysheerpersuasionthatthesechildrenattendschoolregularlyandgettheirvaccinations
ontime.TheiractivitiesinKoshjurhiandLoriincludenotonlyincome-generatingactivitieslike
animalhusbandry,nursery,depositingofsavedmoneyinbanks,butalsocommunityworklike
thepreparationoftheschoolmid-daymeal.Interestingly,creditlendingatlowratesofinterest
(KoshjurhiSHGscharge10%interestoncreditgiven)constitutesasignificantaspectofgroup
work. This rolling of credit to villagers, who are otherwise not credit worthy is an important
contributionofSHGs.
When talking to the women in Koshjurhi and Lori, we gathered that they understood the
importanceoftheirassociation,statingthatontheirowntheywouldnotbeinapositiontodo
anything worthwhile for the community. SHGs have helped in reaching out and spreading
information to the community on social development matters like ensuring that all mothers
attendandparticipateintheMother-TeacherAssociation(MTA)meetingsorICDSmeetings.
ThemembersoftheSHGsinSonathalialsoshareinformationonamorepersonalbasis.There
isagreatsenseoffellowfeelingamonggroupmembers,thatofhelpingeachotheroutintimes
of difficulty.The women stated that as a group they are in a better position to save money on
theirown.Thismoneycanthenbeusednotonlyforfamilyexpenditureespeciallyintimesof
personalcrisis,butalsotohelpfellowmembersoutintimesofdifficulty.Buthavingsaidthis,it
isimportanttonotethatwhileSHGshavehelpedindevelopingthesavinghabitinhouseholds,
itsexpenditurebothwithinandoutsidethefamilylimitsrequirestheapprovalandpermissionof
thehusband.WhilethewomenofSHGsonthefaceofit,appeartobefinanciallyindependent,
they are still subject to the power play of male patriarchy.The women in the recently formed
SHGs, especially in Lori, appeared extremely timid, lacking a sense of self-assurance and
assertivenessabouttheirwork.ButinthecaseofKoshjurhi,SHGshaveprovidedopportunities
3535353535

for women to step into the public sphere. Their enhanced mobility in terms of increased
participationinthevillagecommunityhashelpedthemgainself-confidenceandself-assurance.
InBeko,theSHGsarenewlyformedandtherefore,nascentintheirfunctioning.Theyarenot
involvedinvillagedevelopmentissueslikehealthandeducationnordotheyhaveanyincome-
generating activities of their own. Consequently, the SHG members of Mayasardhi are not
activelyengagedintheimplementationofPanchayatworkanddidnotexpressmuchenthusiasm
inthisregard.Someoftheirmainactivitiesincludethemakingoflace,matsandbrooms.But
theyarealsoactivelytakingpartinthepreparationofmid-daymealsforprimaryschools.Itis
quite clear that as a group they do not share common information or discuss key issues that
concerntheirlives.Forexample,regardingthefunctioningofessentialvillageinstitutionslike
ICDScentresandprimaryschools,thegroupmemberscouldnotprovideadefiniteanswer.In
fact, some members asked their young co-members who had children going to the ICDS to
answer the question about its functioning. Neither did they know how many children remain
“out-of-school”norhowmanychildrenhavemissedtheirmajorvaccinations.So,itisevident
thattheinformationsharedisindividual-wiseandnotonacommunity-basis.Indeed,whatever
informationisavailableaboutthecommunityisnotsharedformallybetweengroupmembers.
ThismakesSHGmembersinBekopoorlyinformedaboutcommunitymatters.
Informationflow
TheSRDProgrammeaimsatremovingthebottlenecksintheflowofinformationfromboth
thetopandthebottomofPRIstructures.Participatoryplanningcreatesforwardandbackward
linkagesintheinformationflowsofthevillagecommunityandhas,therefore,beenimmensely
helpfulinprovidingclarityintheidentificationofproblemareas,transparencytothedecision-
makingprocessandaccountabilityoftheelectedmembersatthelowestlevelsofPRIfunctioning.
The two-way information channel encompasses not just the information or data that is being
gathered from the household level but also information given out by GUS members and GP
functionariesabouttheirmanifoldactivities.
The Pradhan of Sonathali stated that they inform the villagers of all meetings both verbally
throughmicrophoneannouncementsanddrumbeatingaswellasinawrittenformbydropping
handbills to every household. Now more than ever, there is access to extensive and in-depth
localinformationthatcaninformtheplanningprocessatthelocallevel.So,theexpansionof
information flows to all villagers has not only generated awareness but also resulted in the
preparation of participatory plans and maps on key issues of the village community. In the
opinionofthePradhanofSonathali,theneighbourhoodmeetingshaveprovedtobeextremely
usefulincollectingdetailedandaccuratefamilyorhouseholdleveldataorinformationacross
GSs. This valuable information made available to all villagers has generated a thorough
knowledgeaboutthevariousneighbourhoodsacrossGSswithinthePanchayat.Besides,the
socialandphysicalmapspreparedbythevillagersthemselvesareenormouslyinformativeand
3636363636

constructiveinmappingandlocatingtheavailableservicesandresources(school,ICDScentre,
cultivablelands,forest,etc.)withinaGS.Theneighbourhoodmapsasatruereflectionofthe
existingrealityintheneighbourhoodcanindicatethenumberofimmunisedchildrenorpregnant
motherswithintheGS.Moreimportantly,participatoryplanning,asdiscussedbythePanchayat
officials,hasalsoincreasedtheresponsivenessoflocalbodiesinaddressingthedevelopmental
issues at hand.
There are, however, serious gaps in the overall information flow in Sonathali. On the flow of
informationaboutGPandGUSactivities,programmesandinitiativestotheordinaryvillagers,
thewomeninbothKoshjurhiandLoriwereunanimousinstatingthattheyareonlyinformed
about the expenditure made by the GP and GUS on planning items and are not provided any
information or details on the rationale, objectives, priority areas or target groups of the final
plansmade.Inthissense,theinformationisselectiveandlimited.Asaresult,mostvillagersare
poorlyinformedoftheactivitiesoftheGUSorGP.Abouttherole,purposeandreasonforthe
formationoftheGUS,itappearedthatmostofthewomentalkedtoinSonathalihadnoteven
heard about the activities of the committee. They talked about the various activities of the
committeelikeblanketdistribution,houserepairing,dredgingofpondsratherthanthemotivating
rationaleforitsestablishment,whichistofurtherstrengthenvillagedevelopment.Atmostof
the public meetings held by the GUS, it was reported that only matters and information
concerningwhatistobeplannedarediscussed,leavingasidethecrucialquestionofthefuture
courseofactionintermsofitsfeasibilityofimplementation.Interestingly,thewomenfeltthat
hadtheybeeninformedoftheGUS’splanofactioninthevillages,theywoulddefinitelyhave
played a more active role.
Itwasalsoclearthatinformationdoesnotalwaysreachthevillagers,especiallyintermsofthe
reasons for which information from every household is needed. Most women at the meeting
couldnotexplainthepurposeofinformationcollectionattheneighbourhoodmeetings.Itwas
obviousthattheGUSmembershadnotinformedthemofthereasonswhytheywerecollecting
data from every household at the neighbourhood level. Similarly, most of the women had no
clearideaaboutwhatthefinalGSplancontainedintermsofpriorities,fundsallocated,etc.As
forthemapsoftheGS,mostofthewomenwereneitherabletosaythatitwasthemapoftheir
GSarea,norexplainwhatitcontained.Surprisingly,manyofthewomenthoughtthemaptobe
oneofthedistrictandothersthatoftheentireGPofSonathali.Thisonlygoestoshowthatthe
explanationofthemapstothecommonvillagersisunsatisfactory.Womenmembers,therefore,
remain apathetic to the ongoing activities directed towards substantive village development
issuesinthePanchayat.Atthesametime,thereisalackofclarityintheinformationtransmitted
tocommonvillagers,whoarebothunawareoftheexistenceofvariousgovernmentalprogrammes
inplaceatthePanchayatlevelandarealsounabletodistinguishbetweenthem.Manymembers
oftheSHGsinSonathalideclaredthatiftheyneedanythingofurgentimportancetheyusually
gotothepartyoffice.ItappearedthatthewomenconfusedtheGUSwiththepartyorganisation.
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Basedonthis,itseemsthatthepartyorganisationismoreeffectiveinaddressingtheissuesand
problemsofordinaryvillagersthantheGUSitself.
In Beko, the information flow seems to be even less. As a result, there are low levels of
knowledge regarding the work and activities of the GP and the GUS. Since community
consciousness is low in Myasaradih GS, most villagers are passive and inactive, lacking the
knowledgeofwhattorightfullydemandfromvillageorganisations.AsexplainedbytheGUS
memberofMyasaradihthemselves,villagersareneitherinformedoftheactivitiesandfunctions
oftheGUSorGPnoraretheyactivelyinvolvedintheprocessofplanningorimplementation.
This is because the GUS is the ultimate decision-making body in the GS, responsible for
deciding the problems and priorities on behalf of all the villagers. There are no proper
communication channels or a systematic flow of information to the villagers. It is only on a
need-to-know-basisthattheGUSmembersengageinorinformthevillagersoftheactivities.
ThisisusuallydonethroughSHGs,whichinformthevillagersabouttheworkrequiredtobe
done by them. The majority of women in the SHGs had not heard about the GUS or its role
andfunctionsandwere,therefore,ignorantofitsongoingworkintheGSs.Atthesametime,
theywereuninformedoftheGSmeetingsandcouldneitherconfirmnordenythatthesemeetings
were announced through microphone announcements and the distribution of leaflets.About
the addressing of problems to the GUS, they usually approach its members only for seeking
helpandsupportonthepersonalfrontratherthanoncommunityissues.Thus,thereisundoubtedly
a complete lack of awareness on community affairs and issues in Beko.
3838383838

Conclusion
This case study is a reflection of the dynamic and interlocking issues arising from the SRD
programme efforts towards empowering people through a participatory process of social
development, and generating knowledge about key developmental practices. In light of the
limitationsofthisresearch,itisproblematictodelineateasimplecausalrelationshipbetween
theprogressachievedasanoutcomeofSRDandthatwhichisaconsequenceofthecumulative
effectsofotherinterventions.Therefore,thecasestudyfindsitprematuretoobjectivelyappraise
thefullimpactoftheSRDprogramme.
Nevertheless,theteam’sobservationssuggestthattheongoingeffortsofSRDhavepositively
aidedinimprovingoverallparticipationandawareness.Anotherimportantachievementofthe
programme seems to be the catalytic role of women as change-agents in the community,
challengingexistinggenderbiases.Also,asignificantcontributionoftheprogrammehasbeen
the effective monitoring of service delivery on developmental goods by the Panchayat and
governmentlinedepartments.
Inthecourseofthestudy,itwasfoundthatthevillageplanningprocessaimingatdevelopment
isslowly,butsurelyengenderingacultureofparticipationatthecommunitylevel.Thisincludes
mobilisation of people to cooperate in development activities, activating people’s agency in
articulatingandassertingtheirdemandsfordevelopment,heighteningcommunityconsciousness
onhealthandeducationmatters,etc.Inthissense,communityparticipationhasputinplacea
regimeoflocalgovernancethatgoesbeyondanarrowmeansandendsrationality.Buthaving
saidthis,participationincommunitydevelopmentishierarchicallystructuredbytheexisting
powerrolesofpaternalismandpatriarchy,whichimpingeonpeople’sabilitytomakedecisions
thatsignificantlyimpacttheirlives.Thisisalsofurtherimpededbyasymmetricalinformation
flowsfromboththetopandthebottomofthePRIstructures.Fortherobustfunctioningofthe
PRIsystem,theneedtodemocratisethedecision-makingprocessesanddecentralisetheflow
ofinformationacrossthevarioustiersbecomesvital.Thelatterwouldincludenotonlyimproving
access to information by one and all, but also ensuring that it can be comprehended.At the
sametime,translatingenhancedawarenessonhealthpracticesintoone’slived-inexperience
remainsaculturallyboundedissueofhowpeopleareableornotabletoleadtheirlives.Inthis
sense, it is felt that the awareness campaigns need to be able to create an alternative culture
that addresses the concerns and needs of the local populace.
Inaddition,theteamfoundthatinitiativesliketheformationofSHGsareempoweringwomen
toparticipateinthepublicsphereofcommunitydevelopmentbyfosteringappropriatebehaviour
3939393939

development.Womenarebecomingagents/vehiclesofawarenessgenerationanddevelopmental
change. However, prevailing stereotyped gender roles still prevent women from achieving
their full potential as pro-active and receptive actors of change. It is, therefore, necessary to
reinforceandaugmenttheeffortsofwomen’sgroups,whichofferpromisingopportunitiesof
producingchangeatthecommunitylevel.
Empowerment of people in terms of increased participation and improved awareness has
created the necessary grounds for ensuring the delivery of essential services at the grassroots
level.Butsincethestructureandfunctioningofthedifferentlinedepartmentsattheblocklevel
isnotstreamlinedtomeetthedemandsofSRD,thisishamperingthepotentialbenefitsofthe
programme from being fully felt at the local level. Therefore, it is important to have greater
serviceconvergencethatmaximisestheimpactofdevelopmentalinterventions.
Structuralandinstitutionalconstraintsoffunds,functionariesandfunctions(capacitybuilding)
atthelowesttieroflocalself-governmentremainaseriousproblemaffectingtheintervention’s
effectiveness.So,whilechangehasoccurredinsomeaspectsofPRIfunctioning,mostofthe
systemremainsthesame.Theteam,hence,believesthatthesystemicissueofcapacitybuilding
needstobevigorouslyaddressedandintenselyworkeduponforthesuccessoftheprogramme.
Ifgrassrootsinstitutionsarenotempoweredtothefullestextentintermsoftheirabilitytotake
charge of developmental issues, hierarchal power relations will continue to prevail in a so-
calleddecentralisedprocess.Inordertoreducedependencyonhigher-levelagenciesfortheir
work, an increase in trained and skilled manpower at the GP level is crucial.
Finally,wefeelthattheSRDprogrammeisapositivestepintherightdirection.Ithasinitiated
aprocessthatcanleadtolong-termcommunitydevelopment,especiallyforwomenandchildren.
4040404040

References
Bandyopadhyay, D., Ghosh, S K. and Ghosh, B. (2003). Dependency versus Autonomy.
IdentityCrisisofIndia’sPanchayats.EconomicandPoliticalWeekly,Vol.38,no.38,
September 20, 2003:3984-3991.
Bhattacharyya, D. (2006). Writers’Building and the Reality of Decentralized Rural Power.
Some paradoxes and reversals in West Bengal in Jayal, N G., Prakash, A. and
Sharma, P. (ed.) Local Governance in India: Decentralisation and Beyond. New
Delhi:OxfordUniversityPress,Delhi.
Chakraborty, Utpal (undated): Panchayats in West Bengal: How they function.
Development & Planning Department, Government of West Bengal (2004): ‘West Bengal
Human Development Report 2004’, Shishu Sahitya Samsad Pvt. Ltd.
Dreze J. and Sen, A. (2002): The Practice of Democracy in India: Development and
Participation, Oxford University Press, Delhi.
Ghatak, M. and Ghatak, M. (2002). Recent Reforms in the Panchayat System in West
Bengal.TowardGreaterParticipatoryGovernance?EconomicandPoliticalWeekly,
Vol. 47, no. 1, January 5, 2002:45-58.
Majumdar, M. and Banerjee, I. (2007). Evolution of the Panchayati Raj System in West
Bengal: Political and Legislative Initiatives of a State Government in Sinha, D.
and Chakraborty, K. (ed.) Democratic Governance in India. Kalpaz Publications,
NewDelhi.
Melkote S. R. and Steeves H. L. (2001). Communication for Development in the Third
World. Theory and Practice for Empowerment. Sage Publications, New Delhi.
Planning Commission Government of India (2001). National Human Development Report
PRDD (2005). Strengthening Rural Decentralisation (SRD). More effective, accountable
and pro-poor rural decentralisation leading to sustainable reduction of poverty
in West Bengal. Government of West Bengal. Panchayat & Rural Development
Department.
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PRDD and SIPRD (1993). An Introduction to Gram Panchayat. Department of Panchayats
&RuralDevelopment,StateInstituteofPanchayats&RuralDevelopment,Kalayani,
Nadia.
SIPRD (2003). Towards a District Development Report for West Bengal. State Institute of
Panchayats and Rural Development, Kalyani, West Bengal, Centre for Rural
Resources.
UNICEF Kolkata (undated). Draft Paper on interventions in Purulia district.
Webster, N. (1996). Panchayati Raj inWest Bengal: Popular Participation for the People or
the Party? in Mathur K. (ed.) Development Policy andAdministration. Sage, New
Delhi.
4242424242

Annexure
UNICEF child friendly districts -
Sector specific indicators selected:
Reproductive and Child Health
• Alldeliveriesattendedbyaskilledperson
• 90%ofchildrenfullyimmunized
• 90% of children with diarrhoea using ORS and receiving competent care for acute
respiratoryillnessasneeded.
Child Development and Nutrition
• Allchildrenexclusivelybreastfedforatleastsixmonths
• AllchildrenconsumingsufficientamountofvitaminA
• No grade 3-4 level malnourished children and less than 30% of children under 5
years of age grade 1-2 level malnourished.
• Allhouseholdsusingiodisedsalt
Child Environment: Sanitation, Hygiene andWaterSupply
• All households with access to improved water sources (including no hand pump
breakdown for more than four days)
• Allmembersofthefamilywashinghandswithsoapbeforeeatingandafterdefecation
• Allhouseholdshaveaccesstoadequatesanitationfacilities
ElementaryEducation
• Allchildrencompletingprimaryschoolwithbasiclearningcompetencies
HIV/AIDS
• All young people (15-24 years old) have accurate knowledge, practicing safe
behavioursrelatedtoHIV/AIDSandareaccessingyouthfriendlyservices
ChildProtection
• Allbirthsregisteredwithin28daysandchildrenreceivingthebirthcertificate
• The number of children married before 18 years of age reduced by 50%
• Nochildinvolvedinhazardousorexploitativelabourwhichnegativelyaffectstheir
development
4343434343

BackgroundNoteontheInternshipProgramme
UNICEFIndia’sKnowledgeCommunityonChildreninIndia(KCCI)initiativeaimstoenhance
knowledgemanagementandsharingonpoliciesandprogrammesrelatedtochildreninIndia.
Conceived as part of the Knowledge Community on Children in India, the objectives of the
2007 Summer Internship Programme were to give young graduate students from across the
worldtheopportunitytogainfieldlevelexperienceandexposuretothechallengesandissues
facingdevelopmentworkinIndiatoday.
UNICEF India hosted over 57 interns from India, Germany, Denmark, Bolivia, Japan, U.S.,
U.K.,Australia, Ireland, Norway , Finland, Bangladesh, Canada, Italy to participate in the
2007 Summer Internship Programme. Interns were grouped into teams of 3-4 and placed in
thirteendifferentresearchinstitutionsacrosselevenstates(AndhraPradesh,Bihar,Jharkhand,
Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal)
studyingfieldlevelinterventionsforchildrenfrom4Juneto8August2007.
Under the supervision of partner research institutes, the interns contributed a combination of
desk research and fieldwork, the end result of which were 15 case studies of UNICEF
assisted government programmes and other interventions aimed at promoting the rights of
the children and their development. Six of these are supplemented by short films capturing
therealityofchildrenandtheirfamilies.Thecasestudiescoverkeysectors linkedtochildren
and development in India, and address important policy issues for children in India. These
include: primary education, child survival, health, nutrition, water and sanitation, child
protectionandvillageplanning.
Anotheruniquefeatureofthisprogrammewasthecompositionoftheresearchteamscomprising
internswithmulti-disciplinaryacademicskillsandmulti-culuturalbackgrounds.Teamswere
encouraged to pool their skills and knowledge prior to the fieldwork period and to devise a
work plan that allowed each team member an equal role in developing the case study. Group
work and cooperation were key elements in the production of outputs, and all this evident in
theinterestingandmulti-facetednarrativesthatthesecasestudiesareondevelopmentinIndia.
The2007SummerInternshipProgrammeculminatedinafinalworkshopatwhichallteamsof
interns presented their case studies and films to discuss the broader issues relating to
improvements in service delivery, elimination of child labour, promoting child rights and
decentralizationandvillageplanning.TheKCCIInternshipcasestudiesseriesaimstodisseminate
this research to a wider audience and provide valuable contributions to KCCI’s overall
knowledge base.

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