The mega exercise of organising ‘Gram Sabha’ (meeting of villagers) will begin on Sunday, April 14, the birth day of Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar, the architect of the Indian Constitution even as elected representatives of 734 gram panchayats and nearly 20,000 associate villages will come face-to-face with their electors to give account of their achievements.
Terming the gram sabhas as root of democracy like gram panchayats are the foundation of democratic set up, Chief Minister Raman Singh appealed to all the villagers to participate in gram sabhas in maximum number as Government officials along with public representatives will be available to provide information to them regarding welfare schemes as also about the provisions of the Chhattisgarh Food Security Act 2012 making the occasion fruitful for the common man.
Panchayat and Rural Development Department of the State Government on Saturday issued circular to all 27 district collectors, Chief Executive Officer of Zila Panchayats as well as district Auditors for organisation of Gram Sabhas in their respective areas. The circular also asked the respective officials to send their report regarding organisation of Gram Sabhas latest by April 30. In the Gram Sabhas, names of officials, both former and sitting, owing financial liability to the respective gram panchayat/ village will be made public, the circular said.
The circular issued from Naya Raipur located Mahanadi Bhawan, has also forwarded agenda for these meetings with a liberty to the respective district collector, Zila Panchayat/ Janpad Panchayats, Gram Panchayat to include any specific issue related to local needs. The circular asked the officials to prepare time table of Gram Sabhas in such a way that meeting of only one associate village could be organised with the Gram panchayat at any particular day so that village representative as well as district/ block officials will easily be available to address the queries/problems of people of all associate villages.
According to the circular, at the Gram sabhas to be organised in April review of implementation of the earlier passed proposals will be done, information regarding provisions of Forest Right Act 2006, approved works under Backward Area Grants Fund (BRGF) during 2011-12 and 2012-13 will be given to people and expenditure on these works will be approved beside proposal will be passed to issue utilisation certificate.
To encourage village sanitation programme information regarding constriction of toilets in rural household will be collected at these gram sabhas while audit of the expenditure of funds allotted to gram panchayats/ villages will also be done head-wise. Social audit of works undertaken under MNREGA, Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan and annual certification of beneficiaries of pension schemes run under social assistance programme will also be done in these Gram Sabhas. The Gram sabhas will also review the tax imposed by gram panchayats, their collection status, dues, monetary condition of Panchayats besides enlisting proposals of gram panchayats proposal for fresh taxes.