Govt issues 'Gram Jyothi' guidelines

Hyderabad, Aug 14 (INN): The Telangana Government on Friday issued comprehensive guidelines for the implementation of "Gram Jyothi" programme. Through a separate GO, the government also issued Concept and Guidelines for the preparation of the Gram Panchayat Development Plans.

"In view of the decision of the government to launch Gram Jyothi, a program to empower gram panchayats, it is considered essential to prepare Village Development Plans for each Gram Panchayats through a participatory approach involving the Panchayat, the Self Help Groups, people and all interested in the holistic development of the village," said Principal Secretary of Panchyat Raj and Rural Development Department J. Raymond Peter in GO Ms. No. 64 issued today.

As per the GO, Seven key areas covering the Drinking water and Sanitation Sector, Health and Nutrition Sector, Education, Infrastructure, Natural Resources Management, Agriculture, Social Security and Poverty Reduction have been considered to be critical for the wholistic development of the Gram Panchayat. Instructions have been given to constitute Functional Committees in the gram Panchayats. In the context of the Gram Jyothi program, which exclusively aims at empowering the Gram Panchayats, it is considered essential that Functional Committees be constituted as envisaged in the Gram Panchayat Act with a clear focus on actions to be taken and outcomes to be achieved. The Functional Committees shall also ensure the involvement of all the elected representatives and concerned stakeholders to focus on issues affecting the sector.

Enormous Social Capital in the nature of Self Help Groups (SHGs), Shrama Shakthi Sanghalu, Youth Groups, Community Based Organizations, Non-Governmental Organizations retired Government Servants and individuals having experience in various social sectors available within the Gram Panchayat needs to be harnessed at the Gram Panchayat level for maximising the much required synergy in developmental planning.

The State Government has directed that all Gram Panchayats constitute at least Seven Functional Committees for Sanitation and Drinking Water, Health and Nutrition, Education, Social Security and Poverty Reduction, Natural Resource Management, Agriculture and Infrastructure.

A separate GO MS No. 63 has been issued giving composition and powers of the Functional Committees to be constituted.