To ensure transparency in the accounts of Gram Panchayats and make them more accountable, the Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department has now mandated them to upload gram sabha and ward sabha meeting proceeding in Panchmitra (E-Governance website of government).
“We had received several complaints that the meetings were not happening regularly and it was ineffective. In this regard, with an objective to bring more transparency, we have taken the decision to upload the meeting proceeding,” said Rashmi V Mahesh, Secretary RDPR. This initiative is also expected to bring down the Right to Information (RTI) applications seeking the meeting details, she added. The gram sabha is to enable each and every voter of the village to participate in decision making at local level. And the ward sabhas facilitate participative social audits.
Meanwhile, it is to be noted that the software was not effectively utilised for the past three years and the panchayat details were not uploaded each time.
Recently, the Ministry of Panchayati Raj has advised the state governments and Union Territory Administrations to prepare an annual calendar of gram sabha meetings and to ensure at least four meetings of gram sabha.
It had also advised that in those decision taken related to forest produce, land acquisition, mining & natural resources likely to affect the traditions and way of life of the community, it is necessary to make a full video-and-audio-graphic recording of the meetings.
Parvath Gaud, member of Yelavatti village Panchayat Shirahatti Taluk in Gadag district said that he is yet to receive a written order. He said that he does not know how to upload the data on to the website. However, Rashmi clarified that those who do not know how to upload the details, training would be given by the Department and MIS coordinators at the taluk and district level.