Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Chief, Unicef, Madhya Pradesh, Margaret Gwada has said that indicators at gram panchayat need to be aligned with the state priorities, national and SDG goals.
She emphasised the importance of tracking the well being of children and women when indicators are being developed. The indicators drafted need to be relevant to the context, simple and easy to track and report, she adds. She reiterates UNICEF's commitment to partnering with the government of Madhya Pradesh in its efforts towards achieving SDG goals.
Margaret was speaking in a workshop, organised by the Department of Panchayat and Rural Development and UNICEF to finalise the road map and indicators for women and child friendly gram panchayats in Madhya Pradesh in the city on Wednesday.
80 Participants From Different Government Departments Participated
Approximately 80 participants from different government departments like the Department of Women and Child, National Health Mission (NHM). School Education Department, Public Health Engineering (PHE) department, Labour department, State Rural Livelihood Mission (SRLM), Water Resources department (WRD), Tribal welfare department, Social justice department, MP State Policy and Planning Commission (MPSPPC) and Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) and nodal officers from 52 zilla panchayats and civil society organisations participated in the workshop held at Bhopal.
Kedar Singh, Director, Panchayat and Rural Development department, speaking at the workshop reiterated that since all the schemes are implemented through the gram panchayats, therefore, it is important that we work at the grassroots. He also stated that it is necessary to bring together the development issues and join it with the livelihoods of the people, where possible, at the panchayat in order to bring about changes. He also talked on gender equality and suggested working through women groups on village developmental needs which can then be taken up in the GPDP. He stated to ensure that no child remains without being educated in the schools of the state.
Suresh Tomar, Joint Director, Women and Child Development Department spoke on gender issues which needed to be considered at gram panchayat to make the panchayats women and child friendly. Sun
Sunil Jaglan, Ex-Sarpanch, Haryana, stated about his own positive experiences in bringing about tremendous changes in his state, through taking up issues at the grassroots. The mindset of people should first change, to start with. The feasibility of the solution intervention needs to be evaluated in the village, before starting any work.
Pooja Singh, social policy specialist shared child friendly indicators while Devesh Mishra, Deputy Director shared panchayat development index which is needed to be developed.
Besides, booklets on women and child friendly indicators were released by dignitaries.
