I am 40 years old and live in a nuclear family. I prepare various indigenous
breakfast items and earn a substantial amount of money. I also help my
husband in his work and do the household shopping, pay electricity bills,
maintain our bank accounts etc.After being elected to the Panchayat, I realized that the most pressing problems
that the Panchayat faced were those of unemployment, poverty, inadequate
safe drinking water, alcohol, and drug-abuse. As one of the Ward Members,
I took up the task of solving these problems. After discussing these issues at
the Panchayat meetings, I got funds allocated by the Panchayat under various
schemes to try to remove these problems from my ward. I organized awareness
camps on alcohol and drug abuse, with the help of the Mahila Committee and
the Youth Club in the village.During my tenure, I helped construct two public tanks, six roads, 10 tube
wells, one community hall, three IAY houses and had the school building
repaired. I facilitated the provision of Old Age Pensions to 33 persons and
Widow Pensions to two widows. I also helped issue 1 Annapurna Card and
six cooking gas connections to the village members.To make a difference in the society, a woman should be strong at home. To
date, I have organized five gram Sabhas, where the presence of women has
outnumbered that of men. I also make sure that any work undertaken by the
Panchayat is first discussed in the gram Sabha.I have tried to set up small industries, a Primary Health Centre (PHC),
women’s awareness corporations, and health camps. I have also started SHgs
for the village women.I have attended the training at the Block level and attended the Women’s
Leadership Workshop conducted by The Hunger Project - NEST. At the
workshop, I came to know about the Right to Information Act (RTI),
which gave me the confidence to demand all relevant information from the
government offices needed to carry on my work. There is a lot more work that
needs to be done. Hence, I want to contest the next election even though my
seat will not be reserved for women.Tulu Bora
Ward Member
Panchayat: Saribahi
Block: Dhenkargora
District: Jorhat