Tola Sabha – A Model for Community Development

Mobilizing and empowering people for a shared developmental goal and inculcating in them a sense of ownership is paramount for the effective implementation of development programmes. Setting up a community governance mechanism, bringing transparency and accountability in the implementation of programmes and transferring power to the villagers are some of the much-deliberated and critical issues with which development projects across the nation are grappling

T he essence of the Gandhian philosophy of Gram Swaraj lies in governance, not by a hierarchical government but through self-governance by individuals and the community. This rhetoric has been further reinforced by the Government of India’s commitment, reflected through the 73rd Amendment Act of 1992, in which the gram sabha has been envisaged as the foundation of the Panchayati Raj System.

Empowerment of the gram sabha is the key to strengthen Panchayati Raj institutions (PRIs). Mobilizing and empowering people for a shared developmental goal and inculcating in them a sense of ownership are paramount for the effective implementation of development programmes. Setting up of a community governance mechanism, bringing transparency and accountability in the implementation of programmes and transferring power to the villagers are some of the much-deliberated and critical issues with which development projects across the nation are grappling.

The MoRD (Ministry of Rural Development), Government of Jharkhand, through its Special SGSY project, has taken definitive steps to implement Integrated Natural Resource Management (INRM)-based livelihood programmes. It has kept the village community at the epicenter of its projects and all major project functions are carried out by the community.