the training so soon after being elected was a golden coincidence; the
Women’s Leadership Workshop and other trainings brought back memories
of school days. It gave me an opportunity to interact with other EWRs in
my Block. Ravina, the President of Kajurli gram Panchayat did not attend
the program earlier, and having realized the importance of it as a woman and
a President, I helped the organisation’s activists in giving her the confidence
to join the program.
During the training, we were explained the details about the gram Panchayat
budget, which would have otherwise remained unclear, probably even after
I would have completed my tenure. In the workshop on gram Sabhas, we
were taught some innovative measures to enhance participation in them and
when I followed these, I saw an overwhelming response in our gram Sabha
too. I have tried to increase women’s participation in matters of governance.
Parivartan even organized a ‘Mahila gram Sabha’ campaign in my village
upon my insistence. We now have regular Mahila gram Sabhas before every
general gram Sabha. Women’s participation in the gram Sabha has increased
so much that they alone complete its quorum! I also organized the women in
my hamlet to form an SHg.
I came to know that the village revenue office should display a fee-chart, so
after coming back to my village, a resolution was passed in one of the gram
Sabhas about this. To make the sanitation campaign a success, I went to each
house in the village and convinced the people to follow all the criteria of the
campaign. Our village was awarded the Nirmal gram Puraskar (an award
instituted by the State government for achieving set sanitation standards); it
is a very nice feeling to lead a Nirmal gram.
The project of constructing a connecting road between Shivane and Bhatgoan
(costing nearly Rs. 1 Crore) was successfully completed, and funds for another
internal road connecting a remote hamlet to our village has been sanctioned.
Apart from this, pathways for the hamlets, a water supply scheme for Teliwadi,
construction of a Primary School building and water conservation activities
have also been carried out.