As per World Bank, Roads are the arteries through which an economy pulses, which means the socio-economic development of a city, town or village is directly proportional to the road connectivity it has. Moreover, Panchayati Raj Institutions are responsible for the construction and maintenance of village roads.

Thoriyo Ki Dhani is a hamlet in Rampura village, Barmer, Rajasthan located more than 5km away from the Panchayat. “The road from Rampura panchayat to the hamlet was full of potholes and sand from the desert. We could not drive vehicles on it, as it was very slippery and undulating”, says Mr. Bhagaram, a resident of the hamlet. “Children could not drive bicycles to go to school. During summers, they have to walk, in the punishing heat of Rajasthan. We were worried until kids come safely”, said Ms. Bhavana Devi, a mother and member of SHG formed under Saksham programme.

“There was administrative apathy towards our hamlet as many government officials would refrain from visiting our hamlet merely due to bad road conditions. This, in turn, had left us out of infrastructure development for many years,” expressed Mr. Jetharam about how bad road conditions led to exclusion from the development process. “If one wants to come to our hamlet from Barmer or Rampura panchayat, Auto drivers would charge extra money, plainly because of the condition of the road,” shares Mr. Kanaram, another resident from the hamlet. The community discussed their problems in their day-to-day arising due to the poor condition of the road.

Around the same time, Saksham team conducted micro-planning activities in the village, where the community flagged the issue of road construction as their priority. “Many people from the village participated in the microplanning activity, where we gave an account of our collective issues and needs, which need to be resolved. Construction of the main connecting the village to the hamlet came out to be a top priority second to drinking water structures”, said Mr. Kanchiram, a member of Youth group.

“I did not know who is going to construct the road. Saksham team helped in application writing and informed about submitting the application in Panchayat or Gram Sabha,” said Mr. Dhararam enthusiastically.

The community decided to call for a ward sabha as this issue concerned mostly with the hamlet of Thoriyo Ki Dhani in Rampura Panchayat. “An application for construction of a road has been submitted to me during the ward Sabha. As I understood the need and required budget for it, I have proposed it in Gram Panchayat Development Plan (GPDP) meeting,” Ms. Veero Devi, Sarpanch of Rampura Panchayat, narrated the process.

“When the construction work of the road started, we could not believe it. It was like a very joyful moment for all the villagers,” described Mr. Kanaram, a resident.
“Unlike before, government officials do not abscond their visit to our hamlet; Similarly, people do not have to pay more to reach to our hamlet and last but not the least children here can ride their bicycles to school and back”, Ms. Veero Devi, Sarpanch said proudly about the pros of the newly constructed road to hamlet.

“For me, due to the new road, the fast and easy access to medical services, even at night, has to be the highlight service of it”, said Mr. Kanaram with a satisfying nod.