Gram Nirman, the cluster programme for the tribal population of Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh has made considerable improvement in the target communities towards strengthening local governance system, enhancing livelihood and addressing the concerns of the most marginalized individuals and households. 

The programme review and planning workshop on 29th & 30th April 2019 at Jharkhand with 11 partners was valuable in achieving the enhanced capacity of the community to dialogue and negotiate with the local governing system for better livelihoods and entitlements.

The programme with the people-led participatory approach to ensure Community-led Governance and Development is continuing for the third year. It has focussed on the marginalized and vulnerable communities (Scheduled Tribe and Scheduled Caste) that often get disadvantaged and deprived of access to government schemes and entitlements.

In the last two years, the programme has considerable progress towards empowering the women and marginalized section to participate in decision-making platforms that have resulted in access to rights and entitlements from various government schemes which was absent prior to the programme intervention. The programme is addressing multi-sectoral issues related to local governance system, participative decision-making process, access to rights and entitlements, livelihoods security, strengthening of civil society organisations, and emphasis laid on women and vulnerable households, especially widows, widowers, PLWDs, etc. Promoting collectivism has paved ownership and accountability in functionalizing the CBOs which is progressively making efforts to sustain the ongoing initiatives beyond the programme phase.

In terms of inclusion, the programme has shown huge improvement to include the most vulnerable sections like the PLWDs, Widows, Widower, Transgender, Women-Headed Household and landless, etc in their participation in Gram Sabhas and access to entitlements meant for them. Leadership among women has emerged and have chaired the Gram sabhas which has been the domain of the males.

To further streamlined the self-governance, it is imperative to incorporate Caritas India’s key strategic pillar of Empowering Animation, Dialogue, Volunteerism and Sharing Communities in the programme for bringing strategic innovation and result outcomes, stressed Alexander Kerketta, Tribal Development Manager of Caritas India.

The positive results of the programme helped in continuing for the last two years. The partners discussed elaborately the Gram Nirman activities and budget for the next year. This was done with participatory consultative discussion as well as complete clarity on the activity logic. While making the budget, priority was given on accountability towards the community for far-sighted sustainable results.

The next year’s activities will focus more on encouraging and motivating the community to have greater understanding and associations over traditional rights and entitlements as well as to develop unity for peoples’ agenda.