Execution At Grassroots: Odisha Delegates Collector’s Power to Sarpanchs in Fight Against Covid-19

Bhubaneswar: Managing the affairs of more than six lakh migrant workers during a pandemic is a gigantic task and that becomes even more challenging when the whole country is in lockdown mode. Odisha, a substantial contributor to the country’s migrant workforce, took some initial measures that helped it contain the spread of Covid-19 to a great extent. As most of the migrants returning to the state belonged to the rural hinterlands, managing their affairs was the biggest challenge in hand and needed the best available acumen. It prompted the government of Odisha to look at the Panchayatiraj Institutions which are working in the grassroots. In order to give the grassroots level PRI institutions the executive power to manage the migrant affairs, Odisha decided to delegated them with the powers of the Collector.

In a first in country, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on April 19 gave power of Collector to Sarpanchs in first against COVID-19.

On April 19th, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik issued a video message and announced the historic decision of empowering the Sarpanchs to combat the deadly coronavirus (COVID-19). Addressing to the people of Odisha and also those living outside the State, the Chief Minister said that his government is committed for the safe return of migrant workers stranded in other States in the country after the lockdown is lifted. The gram panchayats and urban local bodies were given special powers to ensure safety and security of the migrant workers, who will return from other States. To manage the registration and quarantine efforts at the gram panchayats, the sarpanchs were delegated with the Collectors’ power in their jurisdiction under the provisions of the Disaster Management Act, 2005, the Epidemic Diseases Act 1897 and Odisha Covid-19 Regulations. Odisha became the first and only state in India to make such a provision.

The decision to empower the Sarpanchas allowed them to plan, coordinate and take steps to contain the spread of Covid-19 as per the local need.

Speaking on the historic decision, Naveen said, “Every gram panchayat will have registration facilities. Family members and friends of people can register for those, who want to return to the state after lockdown restrictions. They will be placed in a 14-days mandatory quarantine at the panchayat with free of cost accommodation, food and treatment. After completion of quarantine period, an incentive of Rs 2000 will be given to them by the state government”.

In a country like India where more than 70 percent of the people live in its villages, a rural centric approach was need of the hour to manage the emergency. In this context, the approach adopted by the Government of Odisha by devolving the essential powers to the Panchayats is a welcome step that needed to be replicated by all states fighting the Covid-19 pandemic.

The thrust of the Government of Odisha led by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik was to strengthen the rural governance system by making the Panchayats more powerful. As the grassroots level panchayats are best capable to fight the situation, in its first step, the government decided to give financial assistance to each and every Panchayat in the state to the tune of Rs 5 lakh to set up isolation centers. This helped the state to create a massive availability of standby care centers.

Odisha government took the decision to decentralize the governance mechanism for better management of the crisis. Its decision helped all 6,798 Sarpanchas to take instant decisions with regard to taking care of the home bound lakhs of migrant workers.

Taking cognizance of the importance of the Panchayatas and the Sarpanchas, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik himself monitored the issues relating to the decentralization of powers to the village level. To motivate the PRI members and Sarpanches, Naveen administered them the Oath to take all steps to fight the deadly Coronavirus.
Odisha’s decision has been pathbreaking and other states of the country too need to emulate the model and strengthen the rural governance. He has called upon all the members to strictly implement the quarantine guidelines for the returning migrant people. The government has also made provisions for financial assistance to each and every returnee who will be kept quarantine for 14 days. The Panchayats being the grassroots organizations, have the capability to implement the government’s fighting strategy.

Another important aspect of the decision to give powers to the Sarapanchas is that 33 percent of them in the state are women. With the reservation of 33 per cent of women in the Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRI) in Odisha, they got an important assignment in the fight against the pandemic. In the later days it was seen that women Sarapanchas were leading the fight with dedication and enforced the guidelines and regulation with an iron hand.

As an appreciation to their selfless fight for the masses, the Chief Minister announced that the Sarapanchas are included in the list of frontline workers and were assured that their kin would get the same Rs 50 lakhs as ex-gratia in case of any death due to Covid-19.

The way women Sarpanchas articulated their innovative ideas in conversation with Chief Minister through video conference, it reinforced their capability and the CMs confidence on them touched a new height. Now the women Sarpanchas were ready to shoulder the responsibility to tide over in the fight against COVID-19.

Sensing the power of gram panchayats and perhaps taking clues from Odisha model of decentralization of power, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with Panchayats on National Panchayati Raj Divas on April 24.

Along with delegating the powers into the hands of Sarapanchas, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik made regular interaction with them and took stock of the situation. Naveen’s interaction helped boost the morale of the grassroots leaders and strengthened their belief on his leadership.

One such example of interaction he made was with the Sarapancha of Gobindpur Panchayat in Kendrapada district. He interacted with the lady Sarapancha Padmalaya Dhala and praised her for her selfless work in trating the migrants as her own family members.

The Chief Minister also praised the Sarpanch of Manitara in Ganjam district’s Buguda block for declaring a total shutdown of the panchayat for 20 hours in a day to contain the spread of Coronavirus.

By devolution of the executive powers to the Sarapanchas, Odisha proved that decentralization of power is the best way to reach out to the grassroots. The local experience of the Sarapanchas helped immensely in the fight against the pandemic and contained its spread to a large extent.

Newsroom’s special series on ‘COVID Chronicles’ to be continued…