It’s a Catch-22 situation for the Gram Panchayats (GPs), especially the “cash-strapped” ones, as they have been asked to carry on the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, ensuring essential supplies to migrant workers, homeless and the poor in their limits.
Following the directive issued by the government, specifying the roles and responsibilities of the GPs, some are at a loss on how to carry out the tasks with no separate funding. With the extension of lockdown till May 17, the GPs can play major leadership roles.
A circular dated April 24 from the Department of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj listed out the facilities to be provided to migrant workers, homeless, destitutes and the poor in the GP limits. The facilities include food, shelter, safety gears including masks, and sanitizers.
The GPs had been asked to identify migrant workers, homeless, destitutes and others who are in need of food and shelter. Also, people having shelter but unable to source food and items necessary to cook food are also being traced for preparing a post-lockdown action plan.
The GPs had been asked to survey such persons and submit the details such as names, addresses, Aadhaar and phone numbers to the respective Deputy Commissioner’s office and provide them help. It’s the responsibility of the GPs to look after the welfare of such vulnerable sections of the society, the circular states.
Among the facilities, opening of relief camps to house the poor irrespective of whether they have ration card or not was one. At the camps, the GPs were supposed to make arrangements for cooked food, water, toilets and medical help with strict social distancing measures. In the circular, the GPs had been asked to make use of funds available in the 14th Finance Commission or from its own resources.
Also, the GPs had been asked to publicise the steps taken such as opening of the relief camps by hiring autorickshaws and using the public address system. The department had been asked the GPs to document the steps taken and bring it to the notice of the State government.
In case of Mysuru taluk, not all GPs are financially strong to comply with the rules. Some GPs had sustained without proper resources. In Chamundeshwari Assembly constituency, there are 29 GPs and eight GPs are part of Varuna constituency in the taluk.
“However, after the lockdown was announced, ration kits had been distributed sufficiently to the needy across the GPs in Mysuru taluk with the local MLAs taking the lead. The interest amount of ₹1.50 crore that was available in the 14th Finance Commission account can be used to aid the migrant workers and the poor. However, the government had been urged to relax the rules for using the funds,” sources told The Hindu .
The sources said ration kits consisting of rice, tur dal, wheat, oil, salt had been raised by MLA G.T. Deve Gowda in Chamundeshwari constituency and MLA Yathindra Siddaramaiah in Varuna constituency (some portion of the constituency comes under Mysuru taluk) and also through donors. The same was distributed to the migrant workers and the poor in the GP limits. In fact, the ration was distributed twice to migrant workers stranded in the taluk, they add.
When contacted, Mysuru Taluk Panchayat Executive Officer Krishna Kumar said the GP-wise survey of migrant workers, homeless, poor and others had been done and action plans are being prepared to sustain them in view of the pandemic. “Relief operations are on since over a month. Ration kits are available for distribution in the GP limits in case of any emergency. We are fully prepared to aid the poor and needy, mobilising the resources and raising essentials from donors,” he added.
