Today I am overjoyed to receive a cheque of Rs. 80,000. There is a saga of
struggle behind this cheque. Even today, the words are resounding in my ears-
if you dare to stop the jal rath yatra, (water chariot march) you will go to jail.
Kaliahoda village, which falls in my Panchayat, was facing an acute shortage
of drinking water. Despite my numerous reminders to the Department about
the problem, it did not pay any heed. I could not see any way to solve the
problem. In this situation, I resolved to confront the Administration, and
announced that I would stop the Jal Chetna Rath Abhiyan. Repeated threats
from the Administration could not shake my resolve and finally before the
Jal Chetna Rath Abhiyan, brought happy news for the villagers of the whole
Panchayat- that the Administration had capitulated!
My tenure as the Panchayat President has been development oriented. Until
now, I have succeeded in carrying out works worth Rs. 13 Lakhs and 95
thousand rupees in my Panchayat. Moreover, I have made it a priority that
the poor families, the divorcees, and the widows of the village get t benefits of
as many Schemes as possible. I regularly go to various centers to monitor the
quality of various facilities provided by the government.