A three-day National Workshop on Localization of Sustainable Development Goals in Gram Panchayats through Adopting Thematic Approaches: Theme 1: Poverty Free and Enhanced Livelihood Gram Panchayats is being organised during 14 – 16 November, 2022 at CIAL Convention Centre, Kochi, Kerala. The workshop is being organised by the Ministry of Panchayat Raj, Government of India in close collaboration with Local Self Government Department (LSGD), Government of Kerala and Kerala Institute of Local Administration (KILA), Thrissur, Kerala.

This well-structured workshop aims to create awareness on the national level importance of addressing (1) marginalisation – inclusion and access to basic services, social safety nets and protection systems – leveraging National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP), Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) and National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM) through Panchayats, and (2) livelihoods – the role of Panchayats in addressing income inequality & poverty, eradicating extreme poverty and improving employment opportunities for poor, vulnerable and marginalized sections and (3) building resilience of vulnerable communities against the sudden shocks brought about by disasters and extreme climate events.

A well-designed ‘Experience Sharing and Learning from the Field’ exercise in the form of field visits will be the major attraction for the participants / delegates on the third day of the National Workshop. The concluding day of the National Workshop is fully dedicated to field visits where the participants will be taken to Gram Panchayats to gain insight into the policy and operational dimensions of poverty reduction and livelihood augmentation within Kerala as evidenced at the local level, and to experience first-hand the roles played by various stakeholders – Elected Representatives, officials, participatory planning structures, community organisations and SHG collectives, volunteers, and CSOs – in shaping a pro-poor development narrative.

Different technical sessions will be chaired by Secretaries to the Government of India including Shri Sunil Kumar, Secretary, Ministry of Panchayati Raj and Shri Nagendra Nath Sinha, Secretary, Ministry of Rural Development, and other senior officers of Government of India and State Governments.

 

 

Meanwhile there shall also be an exhibition with different thematic stalls showcasing various developmental/livelihood/skill development schemes and initiatives and achievements of Panchayati Raj Institutions in the thematic areas.

Elected representatives and functionaries of Panchayati Raj Institutions from across the country and across the State of Kerala will attend the National Workshop. Panchayats that have taken initiatives in thematic areas have been invited for participation in the Workshop. Around 1500 participants are expected to attend the National Workshop. These will comprise elected representatives & functionaries of Panchayats, key stakeholders, domain experts and agencies doing exemplary work on poverty alleviation, employment generation and enhancing skills/ livelihoods and facilitating enabling environment that empower rural communities to explore more possibilities for better income generation. Representatives of all States/ UTs from State Department of Panchayati Raj & Rural Development, Planning Department and other line Departments, NIRD&PR, SIRD&PRs, Panchayati Raj Training Institutes, UN agencies, NGOs, SHGs, will also participate. Members of the Kudumbashree and MGNREGS at various levels will also participate in the National Workshop.

Shri Pinarayi Vijayan, Chief Minister of Kerala will inaugurate the National Workshop virtually on 14^th November,2022. ‘Kerala State Roadmap on SDG localisation in Panchayats’ and the Book ‘Participatory Extreme Poverty Assessment: Experiences from Kerala’ will be released at the inaugural session.

The exhibition shall be inaugurated on the same day by Shri Kapil Moreshwar Patil, Union Minister of State for Panchayati Raj, Shri V. Muraleedharan, Union Minister of State for External Affairs and Parliamentary Affairs, Shri M. B. Rajesh, Minister of Local Self Government Department (LSGD), Government of Kerala, and other dignitaries.

Other dignitaries to be present will include Shri Sunil Kumar, Secretary, Ministry of Panchayati Raj, Shri Nagendra Nath Sinha, Secretary, Ministry of Rural Development, senior officers from Government of India and Government of Kerala.

 

 More about the Workshop

 

The National Workshop endeavours to achieve following objectives:

 

1. Creating a space for peer-learning for Gram Panchayats by exchange ideas and experience sharing with other States
2. Facilitating dialogue between elected representatives of Panchayats and policy makers, Civil Society Organisations, NGOs, Domain Experts
3. Strengthening implementation strategy on Theme 1: Poverty Free and Enhanced Livelihood Gram Panchayats
4. Releasing Kerala State Roadmap on SDG localisation in Panchayats
5. Disseminating and deliberating innovative ideas around Theme 1 (Poverty Free and Enhanced Livelihood Gram Panchayats).

 

The National Workshop will serve as an appropriate platform for deliberative action and experiential learning for the Gram Panchayats. It will be participatory and exploratory which will adopt three-fold process:

 

1. Video presentations: Presentations will be made by Panchayats and domain experts by showing the video prepared on the exemplary work they have been doing for last few years. They will showcase the process they had adopted, and impact created in their respective Gram Panchayats or area of intervention.   

 

2. Group / Panel discussions: Panels consisting of Panchayat representatives, domain experts, NGOs along with senior officials of line Departments have been formed which will be chaired by respective Secretary of the concerned Department of Government of India and State Government. Based on the video presentations, panel will discuss the topic shown in the video to be facilitated by senior officials. Representative questions from participants will be taken and addressed by participating Gram Panchayats and experts.

 

3. Field Visit: Deliberations and discussions will not happen in four walls of the workshop venue but it will take participants from other States to the Gram Panchayats of Kerala to showcase the work Gram Panchayats in Kerala have undertaken. State representatives will travel to assigned Gram Panchayats and have first-hand experience of the work done and impact it has created. This will help participants to understand the process the Gram Panchayats in Kerala adopted. Field visit will be coordinated and facilitated by Local Self Government Department (LSGD), Government of Kerala and Kerala institute of Local Administration (KILA) along with Ministry of Panchayati Raj, Government of India.

 

Vision of the Theme 1 stated “A poverty free Panchayat, that ensures there is social protection so that none slip back to poverty. A village where there is growth and prosperity with enhanced livelihoods for all.”  Poverty is multi-dimensional and multi causal which has its impact on different aspects of life. Opportunities for employment, access of basic services including social protection, housing, health, education, enabling environment for thrift and credit, improving land productivity and build the resilience of the poor and those in vulnerable from various disaster are focused area of the theme.  

To address this vision, Gram Panchayat has a significant role in setting local goals & targets and preparation of a comprehensive plan with convergence of human resources and various flagship schemes like MGNREGS, NRLM, NSAP, e-Shram and other resources available to the Panchayat.

 

Background:

 

Sustainable Development Goals adopted by United Nations came into effect from January 1, 2016. Ministry of Panchayat Raj, Government of India has adopted thematic approach to SDGs – It is approach to ensure ‘local action’ for achieving ‘global plan’. The approach aims to localise SDGs in rural areas through PRIs, especially Gram Panchayats by clubbing 17 ‘Goals’ into ‘9 Themes’. Appropriate policy decisions and revisions have followed resulting into revamping of Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (RGSA) and Gram Panchayat Development Plan (GPDP) Guidelines which smoothens the process of Localisation of Sustainable Development Goals (LSDGs) in Gram Panchayats. 

In pursuance to the agenda of localising Sustainable Development Goals in Panchayats, Ministry of Panchayat Raj, Government of India is organising a series of Thematic Workshops/ Conferences on Localization of Sustainable Development Goals (LSDGs) based on the nine themes to be saturated by the Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs), at different locations in close collaboration with State/ UT Departments of Panchayati Raj, State Institutes of Rural Development & Panchayati Raj (SIRD&PRs), line Ministries/ Departments and other stakeholders. The effective and impactful implementation of LSDGs can occur only when the concept and its process are properly understood, imbibed and implemented by the three-tier Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) in order to ensure no one is left behind.

 

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