The Rishidev, Saday and Manjhi communities of the integrated educational and health programme of Caritas India in Bihar, geared up for the Gram Sabha, on August 15. The implementing partner, Purnea Social Service Society, facilitated the preparations for the women and men on articulating their demands in the Gram Sabha, in the Ward Sabha of August 11, at Ward no. 2, Puraani Haat of Kala Baluwa Panchayat, Raniganj Block, Araria district. A total of 28 women, 18 men participated actively while adolescent boys and girls were active observers of the proceedings.

A Panchayat is divided into several Wards, and the Ward Sabha is the smallest and permanent administrative body of the Panchayati Raj system. Under the programme, the focussed interventions around awareness generation on political processes for good governance has educated and organised the people to raise their concerns, and exercise their duties as voters, and secure state entitlements. In the last one year, across 45 hamlets Araria, Madhepura, Saharsa, Rishidev, Saday and Manjhi members have come to hold 36 Ward seats, and 135 CBOs are engaged in demanding public services and programmes through direct representations at Panchayat and block levels.

The Ward Sabha of August 11 was held under the membership of Sonelal Rishidev and Ward Secretary Chandan Rishidev. Issues related to lack of basic facilities like concrete roads, Anganwadi centre, community centre were focused in the Sabha. In several places, proper infrastructure for Anganwadi Centres is lacking.

In the absence of designated space for Anganwadis, these are operated from the Anganwadi workers’ homes, which restricts the visit and proper dissemination of information to pregnant and lactating women, in the presence of the workers’ family members. In places where mini-anganwadis have been sanctioned through collective representations and demands under the programme, lack of space has obstructed their construction.

The members decided to place the demands for pucca roads, community hall and Anganwadi centrs in their hamlets before the Gram Sabha. These demands were consolidated into the Ward Development Plan, with the words of assurance and encouragement from the Ward Secretary. “The Gram sabha is a great platform for us to raise our concerns and demands. We need to voice our opinions and thoughts in such platforms to claim our entitlements,” said Mr Chandan Rishidev, while encouraging that all the members showed up for the Gram Sabha.

The elected member of the Gram Panchayat, who represents the Ward, is responsible to convene the Ward Sabha. Among the many responsibilities, Ward Sabha generates proposals and determines the priority of schemes and development programmes for the Ward Sabha and places it before the Gram Sabha for inclusion in Gram Panchayat development plan. This level of development planning became mandatory in Bihar in 2017, making the Gram Sabha answerable to the Ward for omitting its proposals from the Village Development Plans.