The National Panchayati Raj Day was observed on 24th April across the country to mark the constitutional amendment that created the Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) in India. SwitchON Foundation observed the National Panchayati Raj Day in West Bengal that covered the districts of Bankura, Purulia, Nadia and Purba Barddhaman with its partners by engaging rural communities and government bodies.
SwitchON developed a strong bonding with the panchayats over the years for the development of the marginal communities. In its efforts in working towards equitable & sustainable development, SwitchON engaged with rural communities through Panchayat & Block level meetings, conducted exposure visits to solar pump & micro irrigation sites, training & workshop on solar pump & micro irrigation, Focus Group Discussion (FGD) on importance of millets, site visits to existing millet plots, training on Millet production and its nutritional values.
It aimed to engage all the stakeholders in the rural sector to generate awareness among small & marginal farmers the work of panchayats & inform the panchayats about the ground level challenges that the farmers are facing. The ultimate goal was to build awareness of Panchayati Raj System, Millets, build partnership with Local Panchayats, support small and marginal farmers on solar & micro-Irrigation practices. SwitchON with the help of local governing bodies (Panchayats) promote awareness campaigns and build capacity of the marginal farmers to promote climate resilient agricultural practice.
The Program started with the experience shared from the old generation farmers to the new generation farmers, where we had a fruitful discussion on how we used to cultivate and consume millets on a regular basis and why we stopped cultivating it and currently we have non practice of eating millets in our dietary habits.
After that the program continued with sharing nutrition values of millets and how it can grow in this erratic weather condition of our Purulia district by maintaining a proper package of practices by the resource person from SwitchON Foundation.
Speaking on the occasion, Vinay Jaju, MD, SwitchON Foundation said, “SwitchON Foundation is committed to creating a sustainable future for rural India by promoting climate smart practices. Through our interventions and partnerships with local NGOs, the aim is to create a more sustainable and resilient future by empowering local communities to adopt environmentally friendly practices. Panchayats should be fully empowered for the inclusive growth and development of the people living in the remote areas”.
| Sl. No | State | District | Panchayat Name | Partner Name | Events Topic | Tentative Date |
| 1 | West Bengal | Purulia | Valubasa | N/A | Workshop / FGD on Millets | 24.04.2023 |
| 2 | West Bengal | Bankura | Taldangra | FPO | Workshop / FGD on Millets | 27-04-2023 |
Media Dossier
Contact: Vinay Jaju | M: +91 9331178105 | Email: VJ@SwitchON.org.in
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