Objectives Enhancing effectiveness of the government programmes through increased communication and efficient implementation in a selected block. Capacity building of PRI and Govt. functionaries for effective and efficient implementation of programmes. Encouraging innovation and creation of a knowledge and innovation community with the stakeholders.

Objectives Creation of a group of volunteers communicating people for bridging the gap and enthuse them with the motto of nation building. Drawing up the communication plan. Bringing all line departments together at the forum of the initiative. Strengthening peoples’ institutions and building local leadership.

Objectives Preparing decentralized plans at Sansad level, Gram Panchayat level and Block level with information generated from survey. Execution of the plans by Panchayati Raj Bodies and monitoring thereof. Documentation of the whole process and sharing the best practices for replication in other GPs.

Strategies Setting up core groups at the State, District & the selected Block level for coordination. Involving all political parties in the process for their cooperation. Capacity building of PRI and Govt. functionaries. Strengthening all peoples’ institutions including civil society organizations.

Strategies Selection of 2/3 young educated volunteers (both male & female) at each Sansad. They would be sufficiently trained for discharging their responsibilities of communications & liaison, conduct of survey etc. Enthusing with the zeal of nation building. Conduct of survey to understand the status of local people and their needs.

Strategies Making Government Officials and all PRIs functionaries responsive to the demands for service of the local people. Drawing up communication plan for disseminating knowledge using different media.

Strategies Toning up all Sansads and Gram Unnayan Samities and involving them in the process. Capacity building of Pradhans and Sanchalakas (President of Standing Committees of GPs) for preparing plans and executing them at the Sansad & GP level. Monitoring execution of plan with regard to the key indicators. Documentation of best practices and their replication.

Actions taken A thorough discussion at SIPRD with all the faculties and officials on different aspects of the Lab to Land initiative. Core Committees at the State & District level were formed. Introduced the concept of ‘Lab to Land’ to SDO, BDO, Chairperson of the Panchayat Samity and other functionaries of the selected Panchayat Samiti in a meeting held at SIPRD. Representatives of all political parties participated in a seminar focusing on the initiative. Sought their cooperation.

Actions taken All the members of 10 Gram Panchayats were apprised of tasks contained in the initiative. Assigned officials of SIPRD facilitated the meetings and requested for selection of 2/3 volunteers at the half yearly Sansad meetings. 270 Bharat Nirman Volunteers (BNV) were selected from 114 Sansads of the block. Volunteers from 9 GPs were imparted 5 days’ training both at SIPRD and at the field

Training of BNVs First 3 days’ training at SIPRD concentrated on theoretical issues contained in the manual. It touched upon PRI and different programmes of the government running at the block. Role of BNVs were explained thoroughly.

Training of BNVs For the next 2 days they were taken to Block and GPs for hand holding for practising their tasks like surveying, communicating etc. They were also acquainted with different media of communication including drama and folk. They perform drama. Training of the volunteers ended with taking oath.

Tasks ahead (IEC activities) Distribution of booklets at sansads. Display of flex boards at vantage points. Films(3) in open shows at all sansads. Drama(2) developed by BNVs and folk music. at all sansads. Communication through cable. Quiz competition. Mahila sansad before statutory Sansad in Nov.

Tasks – July,Aug,11 Undertaking survey of Sansads by BNVs. Sensitizing the civil society organisations through workshop with the respected persons of sansads. Holding one day workshop at the Sansad level on health issues with all functionaries like ASHA,ANMs etc. Holding one day workshop on education with connected functionaries like Secretary of VEC etc. 2 days’ training for 5 members of G U S on their role.

Tasks- Sept-Oct,11 2 days’ training programmes of all GP members 3 days’ training programmes of all Prodhans Up- Prodhans and 10 GP level employees (including contractual workers). 3 days’ training programmes for block level officials. 2 days’ training of all Panchayat Samiti members. More use of communication media which has already started in july,11

Tasks Sept-Oct,11 3 days’ workshop for preparation of village(sansad), GP and PS plans using plan plus software with all office bearers of GP and PS and Officials of the block and GP. 1 day workshops with Bharat Nirman volunteers (BNVs) to analyze the data of training survey. The said information would be used for preparation of the plans.

Tasks Nov & December, 11. & Jan, Feb,12 Discussion on the information obtained through survey at the sansad level meeting. Preparation of Plan at the Sansad (village). Preparation of plans at the GP level as well as at the Panchayat Samiti level(Block level).

Tasks (March,12 onwards) Execution of the Plans prepared. Monitoring of execution with regard to 43 key areas identified. Evaluation by an independent organization. Documentation of the entire process and the best practices. Replication of the process in other Blocks in the district and across the state.

Problems No progress could be made during the period of March,11 to May,11(till 15th.May) due to General Assembly Election. Process started at the end of the May with training of BNVs. Political interference is apprehended at every step. Rise of new political equation, made the atmosphere somewhat volatile. In order to avoid, we tried to bring in fold all the political parties and parleyed with them for maintaining a congenial atmosphere.

Problems Corruption is another menace which pervaded in every echelon of society. With absence of handling cash like in NREGS etc., corruption is not felt. Despite attempts to mould the BNVs into a homogeneous group with strong zeal for nation building we apprehend their voluntarism may fade away eroding their zeal as we have similar experience with the volunteers of literacy mission movement. So a mode of compensation has to be thought of for compensation.

Problems With training BNVs have started turning into confident lots dreaming to make a change in the society. Their active ingress into the domain of Panchayati raj has already brewed up uncertainty among the members of Panchayats. It is not unlikely that a showdown may take place between these two groups in future.

Problems BNVs may also become an institution of power and degenerate into a horde of social entities acting against the spirit of the initiative. We have consistently tried to instill into them the zeal of nation building to avoid such situation. Committees at the State and District should remain more vigilant in the process particularly about the reluctance of the Government machinery as this exercise calls for their intensive involvement.

Expected outcome Knowledgeable BNVs acting as change agents. Responsive and effective PRI and official functionaries. Informed rural society. Knowledge and Innovation community. Good governance. Rise in quality of living of rural population.

Funds : Three proposals prepared in line with the guidelines, for fund have been mooted following discussions in the previous meetings & workshops. Proposal A dealt with budget for the expenditures required for running training and workshops at different levels. It amounts to Rs lacs (revised slightly) of which we have received so far Rs.24 lacs only from NIRD. The proposal B has been prepared for meeting the non- recurring expenditures such as for bare minimum IEC materials( materials from different programmes are also collected), hiring charges of vehicles and for charges of documentation etc. It amounts to Rs lacs. The said proposal has been sent to both MoRD and NIRD. Proposal C has been made for setting up a documentation unit at SIPRD at a cost of Rs16.00 lacs. It has also been sent of MoRD.

Workshop Workshop on Lab to Land Initiative

Training Training on BNVs at SIPRD, Kalyani Training on BNVs at Santipur Hands on training on BNVs at Santipur BNV is practicing survey technique in the field