CHENNAI: Nearly 500 panchayat leaders, 700 youth representatives, and 50 self-help groups from different parts of the State will come together at Gandhigram, near Dindigul, on Monday to mark the launch of the "Panchayat Yuva Shakthi Abhiyan," a movement to involve the youth in development.

The panchayat leaders and representatives of youth clubs, functioning under the umbrella of the Nehru Yuvak Kendra, will formulate a plan.

About 50 panchayats of Villupuram, Nagapattinam and Sivaganga districts will tie up with self-help groups and individual entrepreneurs to promote rural-oriented businesses. Under the programme of Rural Business Hubs, activities including production of compressed bricks and natural food nutrient products, including spirulina, will be carried out. Also planned are establishment of Internet kiosks and biomass energy plants.

Auroville Foundation, near Puducherry, will provide the panchayats with technical expertise for making spirulina and bricks. It has agreed to buy back spirulina, according to `Americai' V. Narayanan, an adviser to the Union Ministry of Panchayat Raj.

Besides the Ministries of Panchayat Raj and Youth Affairs and Sports, the district administration and the Gandhigram Rural University will play the role of facilitators for the two events.

M. Balasubramanian, Director of the Nehru Yuva Kendra in the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, says the Abhiyan has been launched in Haryana, Punjab and Manipur. The next State to be covered is Kerala.

In Tamil Nadu, around 15 panchayats from each district have been chosen. Gradually, it will be extended to other panchayats.

K.V. Palanithurai, chairman of the 20-member core committee of the Abhiyan for the State, and professor, Rajiv Gandhi Chair for Panchayat Raj Studies in the university, says the youth and the panchayat leaders will deliberate for two days, beginning on Sunday, before formulating a charter.

The youth will help the panchayats prepare micro-plans, manage natural resources, mobilise people for gram sabhas, collect data for the micro plans and ensure effective delivery of services. "There are already four-five models in the State as this experiment is going on in 15 panchayats for the last two years. These panchayats are located in Nagapattinam, Tuticorin, Pudukottai and Dindigul districts," he says.

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