S PREAD Spread the Light of Freedom

KORAPUT MAP PAIKA PHULABEDA GP

Dasmantpur Block

The Project Area No of Total Villages: 24 Revenue Villages: 09 Hamlets: 13 No of Families: 1294 Total Population: 4933 Tribal Population: 2076 Dalit Population: 817 O B C Population: 2040

Issues… Lack of Pro-people Governance Ineffective implementation of the Social Security Programmes Lack of access & control over resources Exploitation by the vested interest groups Unemployment Food Insecurity No legal entitlement over Land

Project Period January 2006 to December 2008 (Three Years)

Project Goal To develop a model Gram Panchayat through people controlled process for micro level planning and advocacy for tribal self rule

The Objectives… To build the capacity of the partner community to articulate their situation and advocate for their rights for effective implementation of PESA Preparation of Participatory Micro Level Planning (PMLP) for each Palli Sabha To advocate the issues identified in PMLP process, by the community at the administrative as well as the legislative level To introduce the Participatory Monitoring and Evaluation (PME) system in the community for project activities as well as Palli Sabha and Gram Sabha activities

The Target Group The total population of Paika Phulabeda G.P. with emphasis on the Vulnerable Groups, who are having multiple deprivation of their Rights like: landless, tribal women, disable, aged destitute, widow, tribal poor

Strategies… –Building community level institutions and their capacities (PRI, Palli Sabha, Gram Sabha, ) to enable them critically analyze their situation; prepare the plan and make operational the plan for their own development –Facilitating the emergence of community leadership and democratic institutions within the community that would lead voice to their aspirations and assert their rights –Interface and collaborative alliances of the Community with the government at different levels –Lobby and advocacy by the People’s Institutions at Block and District level for people’s planning, good governance, and land entitlements –Introducing Social Audits in development programs for ensuring transparency and accountability –To organize the women & build up their capacities so as to help them assert their rights thereby facilitating the process of positive discrimination

Key Interventions… Facilitation of Participatory Micro Level Planning Process Formation and Management of Community Based Organizations Capacity Building of the PRI members Mass Awareness Regular Interface of People with People’s Representatives & Block / Dist. administration Social Audits Facilitation for having the entitlements of different Pro-poor Programmes Advocating the Issues through Media

Key Outcomes… Participation of people especially of women in Palli Sabha has increased comparatively. The meetings of the Panchayat are regular. The issues related to the service delivery (Govt. Schemes) are being resolved at the intervention of the PRI members. The PRI members are performing their responsibilities pro-actively & are giving due emphasis to the public opinion The misappropriation in the implementation of the Govt. programmes has decreased. The people have been aware and sensitized on their rights, issues and the factors that give rise to these issues. The involvement as well as the participation of the CBOs have in the planning process has increased. After the Social Audit process in Paika Phulabeda G.P., the people of 06 villages have been empowered to avail jobs under NREGA. These people are capable enough to redress their grievances against any manipulation taken place under NREGA through the right forum.

52 women laborers could get back their wages, which were delayed intentionally before Social Audit.. 8 migrant laborers were rescued from Karnatak with the help of District administration. The people of the interior villages have easy access to the PDS item as a result of the extension of a new PDS center at Odapur. The village level disputes are being resolved by the community leaders. The connectivity to all the villages of the G.P. has been established. As a result of the regular interfaces of the people with the Block / Dist. Administration, 13 tube wells have been installed newly that have resolved the drinking water problem. The PMLP process done earlier, has been actualized in the sense that some 20 acres of lands are now effectively irrigated, that promotes vegetable cultivation, after a Field Channel in Badli Maliguda village got established as a follow up action of the planning in the PMLP process. The following table shows how the people of the G.P. have been succeeding in having different entitlements during the Project period: Widow Pension- 49 NMBF- 05 APL cards-70 OAP- 25 IAY-45 Compensation for damaged houses- 70 Account Opening- 155

Key Learning… The active involvement or the participation of the Community plays a pivotal role in bringing changeover in the situation of the community. The development process in the tribal communities is much slower than that in the other Communities. Hence, it needs patience while facilitating the developmental approaches among those communities.

Constraints Faced… Threat from the vested interest groups Non-cooperation of the Govt. machineries Not timely Fund flow

With Thanks S PREAD Spread the Light of Freedom Bidyut