District administrations and Gram Panchayats all across the country are proactively taking various measures to check the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country’s hinterland. Ministry of Panchayati Raj, Government of India remains in close coordination with State Governments, District authorities and Gram Panchayats to ensure that lockdown conditions are not violated and norms of social distancing are scrupulously followed.

Various initiatives are being taken at the panchayat level which may be followed by others as examples of best practices. Some of them are –

Uttar Pradesh:

• In Siddharthnagar district, a postman is helping out the villagers in Gram Panchayats by providing access to cash through microATM.

• In Meerut Division, around 20,000 migrants have been identified in all 6 districts. A total of 600 migrants have travel history of abroad.

• A total of 700 quarantine centres are functional with 6600 people.
• Proper facilities of food and lodging have been made by Gram Pradhan/ Secretary.
• All destitute families are being provided with Rs 1000/ month as relief in this difficult time.
• Ration/cooked food to migrants and vulnerable are distributed on daily basis.
• All 2820 safai karmi have been provided with masks, sanitizer/ soaps, gloves etc and are daily sanitizing the villages.
• Regular sanitization using sodium hypochlorite and beaching powder in vulnerable areas is being done.

Kerala:

1304 community kitchens have been started in Panchayats and Municipalities with the help of Local Self Government Institutions. Out of these, 1100 community kitchens work in convergence with Kudumbashree (State women empowerment programme) and the rest are run by LSGIs by themselves.

• Kudumbashree has prepared and distributed more than 18 lakh cotton masks through around 300 tailoring units.
• Also, 21 micro enterprise units have prepared 2700 litres of sanitizers.
• Through 360 community counselors of Kudumbashree, counseling and mental support is given to those in need to counteract various mental issues. From March 15th to April 5th 49,488 persons availed the services.
• LSGIs with the help of Kudumbashree has formed 1.9 lakh WhatsApp groups with 22 lakh Neighbourhood Group (NHG) members to educate them about Government instructions regarding Covid-19 during lockdown. Currently information is being sent to NHG groups via this platform.

Dadra & Nagar Haveli:

• Awareness about Dos & Don’ts is being provided daily along with sanitization of Panchayat areas.
• Over 1.32 lakh hand sanitizers and 17,400 masks distributed free of cost in rural areas
• Shops open for specific timings; demarcation on floors of shops to adhere to social distancing, etc.
• Daily Cooked meals provided to the needy through Akshaya Patra Foundation including food for stray cattle and animals. 
• Three IEC Vehicle for awareness on COVID –19 are being circulated in all villages of 20 Gram Panchayats giving awareness to general public.
• 10000 Handbills/ pamphlets were distributed in all 20 Gram Panchayats.
• All high-rise building lifts have been sanitized and also the residents are made aware to use lifts only for senior citizens, pregnant women and persons with disabilities.

Andhra Pradesh:

Door to Door Survey and Distribution of Masks: The Government will distribute over 16 crore masks to citizens to help check COVID-19 and the state is also carrying out third round of door-to-door survey.

• 1.43 crore households out of the total 1.47 crore have been covered to identify COVID cases.
• So far, 32,349 cases have been referred to the medical officers out of which 9,107 have been recommended for testing.

The survey is being done in accordance with the suggestions made by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).

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APS/SG/PK