On November 18 and 20, under the facilitation of Purnea Social and Educational Society, 3 Ward Development Plans were developed in the Mahadalit Tolas of Araria district, namely Dealer Tola/Bind Tola, Piparpanti Tola and Shivnagar Ward. The ward sabha was conducted fulfilling the quorum in the presence of Ward members and Ward Secretary. 129 participants from Rishidev, Saday and Manjhi communities participated in the Ward Sabha and raised concerns related to health, nutrition, sanitation, and social securities. Several concerns related to availing the social security schemes such as Old Age Pension, Ration Card, Swachh Bharat Mission to build household toilets were brought forth and discussed. The Ward Secretaries also flagged the issue of child marriage and motivated the parents to send their children to school rather than getting them married to make them young mothers.

Like the Gram Sabha, the Ward Sabha is also a permanent body and an important part of the Panchayati Raj System. Ward Sabha is organised in each Ward within a Gram Panchayat. The elected member of the Gram Panchayat, who represents the Ward, convenes and presides over the meeting of the Ward Sabha.

The primary objective of the Ward Sabha is to generate proposals and determine the priority of schemes and development programmes to be implemented in the area of the Ward Sabha and forward the same to place it before the Gram Sabha for inclusion in Gram Panchayat development plan.

This time the preparation of the Ward Development Plan was exemplary as it involved the participation of Mahadalit Communities Rishidev, Saday, and Manjhi communities, providing them a platform to raise their voices and express their concerns while deciding on their priorities. With growing interventions under the Roshni -Suposhan Programme of Caritas India, covering 7 districts, Ward meetings have witnessed increased participation from the Maha-Dalit Communities over time. Their demands and concerns related to community development are being recorded in the Ward Development Plans. This is enhancing their stake in the decision making, participation in the social fabric and moving towards inclusion in true sense.

Good governance and participation of socially excluded communities in decision-making processes is one of the key approaches of Caritas India programmes across the country to ensure participatory and people responsive governance.