Speakers at the two-day national seminar on ‘Village@75: Role of villages in nation building’, organised by the Academy of Grassroots Studies and Research of India (AGRASRI), pointed to the importance of the local governance in laying the foundation for the coveted goal of India becoming a ‘$5 trillion economy’.
On the concluding day of the seminar on Sunday, former Director-General of National Institute of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj (NIRDPR) W.R. Reddy said that “facilitating inclusive governance by strengthening the decision-making process at the grassroots level will ensure equitable distribution of wealth and power.”
He hailed former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi for bringing in the 73rd and 74th Amendment Acts to the Constitution to bring power to the people by strengthening the Panchayat Raj institutions.
Centre for Economic and Social Studies (Hyderabad) consultant M. Gopinath Reddy analysed the poverty scenario after 75 years of Independence, and called southern and some western States as having moved up the economic ladder, while the northern and eastern States lagged behind on several parameters.
SVIMS Director B. Vengamma said migration of rural people to urban areas for livelihood reversed after COVID-19 pandemic, and hoped that the development would augur well for sustainable development of villages.
The academy presented the ‘Rajiv Gandhi National Awards’ to Mr. W.R. Reddy (Outstanding Leadership); Pragna Bharathi Chairman T.H. Chowdary (Information Technology); Gramalaya (Tiruchirapalli) founder S. Damodaran (Grama Swaraj award); and Goa State Panchayat Mahila Shakti Abhiyan president Nelly Joey Rodrigues (Mahila Shakti award).
Rahul Patil Sadolikar, president of Kolhapur Zilla Parishad (Maharashtra), received the ‘Best District Panchayat’ award; A.K. Musthafa, president of Pernthalmanna Block Panchayat (Malappuram, Kerala), received the ‘Best Taluk Panchayat’ award; and C. Unnikrishnan, president, West Kallada (Kerala), received the ‘Best Gram Panchayat’ award.
The seminar resolved to urge the Central and State governments to take measures to reduce the gender gap, utilise the services of PR experts in drafting Gram Panchayat development plans and devolve the ‘3 Fs’ — Funds, Functions and Functionaries.
