Bhubaneswar: At a time when the Covid-19 pandemic has engulfed more than 80 percent of the globe, and governments all over the world are doing their best to stop the spread of Coronavirus, a systematic approach is needed to resolve the crisis. In a country like India where more than 70 percent of the people live in its villages, a rural centric approach is needed 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 needs serious consideration by all fighting the Covid-19 pandemic.
As the lockdown imposed in the country due to Coronavirus made millions of people stranded and jobless, there is a definite chance that they will return to their roots – lakhs of villages and semi urban areas from where they went to the urban areas. Taking cognizance to this, the Odisha Government’s plan of action to strengthen the rural infrastructure with regard to healthcare facilities and the administrative set up to manage the influx of returnees is a positive step towards mitigating the problem.
The thrust of the Government of Odisha led by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik is 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 has helped the state to create a massive availability of standby care centers.
In what could be the game changer in the fight against Corona is empowering the Sarpanches with the power of the Collectors. Odisha government took the decision to decentralize the governance mechanism for better management of the crisis. Its decision would help all 6,798 Sarpanches to take instant decisions with regard to taking care of the home bound lakhs of migrant workers.
By taking into account the importance of the Panchayatas and the Sarpanches, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik himself is looking after the issue relating to the decentralization of powers to the village level. To motivate the PRI members and Sarpanches, Chief Minister has 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. Prime Minister Narendra Modi should also take the initiative through central decisions to empower the Panchayats so that a uniform strategy is implemented throughout the country.
With the reservation of 33 per cent of women in the Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRI) in Odisha by legendary Biju Patnaik, the women had realized their power of strength, and later Naveen Patnaik made them more vibrant with 50 per cent reservation for women in the PRIs. Thousands of them have developed their leadership quality through women self-help groups.
The way women Sarpanches articulated their innovative ideas in conversation with Chief Minister through video conference on Wednesday, it impressed the CM and his confidence on the women Sarpanches touched a new height that these women Sarpanches can 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 is scheduled to speak with Panchayats on National Panchayati Raj Divas on April 24.
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