Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

Civic body members active in addressing local issues: study

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Amidst discussions over the impact of decentralised planning and governance, the finding that a panchayat member spends approximately five to seven hours a day on bettering the lot of his electorate is proof of the new development culture and public awareness created by the People’s Plan Campaign in the State.

The social watch report on local governance brought out by the ‘Platform for Panchayati Raj and Decentralisation’ based at Thycattussery block panchayat in Alappuzha district shows how exacting the job of a panchayat member has become since decentralisation of powers was experimented in the State. Though the study conducted in five grama panchayats, which come under the block, cannot be considered a model of the Panchayati Raj system in the State, it points to a shift in the approach of the elected members in addressing local issues. Other than the socio-economic profile of the elected members and officials of the five panchayats, the report has included details about the frequency of committee meetings, income and expenditure of the panchayats, facilities and quality of the services offered to the public at the panchayat office and other institutions that have been transferred to the civic bodies.

The report highlighted the facilities offered at the local institutions such as primary school, Krishi Bhavan, Primary Health Centre, various hospitals and anganwadis.

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