KOPPAL: While many urban and rural areas are still battling the second wave of Covid-19, three gram panchayats in the state have been recognised at the national level for following best practices in the fight against the pandemic during the first wave last year.
The Union Ministry of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj has selected three gram panchayats from each state for adopting good practices to fight the pandemic. In Karnataka, Munirabad Gram Panchayat (GP) in Koppal district, Balepuni GP in Dakshina Kannada district and Hoddur GP in Kodagu district have made the cut.
While Munirabad GP has been recognised for monitoring people’s movement, distribution of food packets, arranging Covid-19 control equipment as medical aid to the poor and undertaking sanitisation activities, Balepuni GP has been considered for conducting free registration camps to facilitate the vaccination drive, training of new members by the Viral Disease Control Task Force, sanitisation services, supply of medical assistance and free food kits to the needy families.
The Hoddur GP has been selected for conduct of Covid-19 tests on migrants, supplying medicines and food kits to home-quarantined people besides sanitisation activities and awareness programmes.In fact, Munirabad GP set up 24X7 checkposts in earnest last year to check entry of outsiders and these were monitored jointly by the GP members, local residents and officials concerned.