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Strengthening participation in local governance to enhance access to entitlements and basic services by marginalised tribal communities

03.09.2018
Teaser

To enable quality delivery of entitlement schemes and basic services in health, education and socio-economic security to 33,000 poor and marginalised tribal households in 6 blocks across 4 districts of Gujarat and MP through stronger governance institutions.

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Total Cost (EUR): 1 113 967

EU contracted amount (EUR): 1 000 000

Duration: March 2014 - February 2019

Implementing organisation: AGA KHAN RURAL SUPPORT PROGRAMME (INDIA) LIMITED

Funding Instrument: Non state actors and local authorities Co-financing (PVD)

Benefitting zone: India

 

STORY : Strengthening participation in local governance to improve access to basic services by marginalised tribal communities

"Me and my family have not received any benefit from the government scheme but now, with the help of Nagrik Soochna Kendra (citizens' information centre), we will get it. I also visited the block revenue office and Primary Health Care Centre for the first time and so felt confident."

Bhavnaben Vasantbhai Padvi 

CONTEXT

In India, local village councils are important agents for local self-government, as they have a lot of influence on village life. Encouraging participation in these institutions can help make them more accountable to the villagers. Moreover, involving the village councils can help in providing information on how to access the government schemes and benefits that many people are entitled to but remain unaware of, especially among the poor and vulnerable.

OBJECTIVES

  • To ensure that all the people living with disability in these districts get medical certifications from the Health Department, identity proof from the Social Defence Department and other relevant scheme benefits.

RESULTS

  • During earlier certification camps, only 6 to 30 participants turned up. Through the spread of information with mobile radio and Nagrik Mitra (facilitators of the citizens' information centres), a total of 793 people living with disability attended the camp, out of which 502 got the certification, a prerequisite to accessing government services.
  • In February 2015, the Health Department organised Disability Medical Certification Camps in all blocks of the Narmada district. AKRSP's team collaborated with the health department so as to ensure that the maximum number of people living with disability can benefit from the camps.
  • All citizens' information centres are now helping all these eligible people with disability to access identity proof and different schemes for education, health, income generation etc. from different departments.

FACTS AND FIGURES

  • EC Contribution: €1 000 000 (90% of the total)
  • Nagrik Soochna Kendra (Citizen Information Centres) were established in all 6 project locations. They provide information on government services and help tribal people to access them easily.
  • 24 Nagrik Mitras (facilitators of the citizens' information centres) have been recruited in each centre.
  • Beneficiaries: 165 000 poor tribal people in Madhya Pradesh and in Gujarat

PARTNERS

TESTIMONY

Bhavnaben's story

Bhavnaben Vasantbhai Padvi is a 21 year old deaf and mute girl. Her father died when she was seven, and later on her mother left her for re-marriage. From then on Bhavnaben has lived with her grandparents. Later on her grandfather also died and so now she lives with her old aged grandmother. Their economic situation is very bad.

She was getting a Rs 700 pension [about €10], but for last two years she did not get the pension, without knowing the reason why. In February, 2014, Babitaben, a Nagrik Mitra (facilitator of a Citizen Information Centre) of the local village council, contacted the project. After checking her medical certificate she was told that it was five years old and that she needed to renew it. Babitaben took her to the block level medical camp for disability on 6th February 2014, where she got her disability certificate renewed. Babitaben helped her to get an Income Certificate from the block revenue office, a blood group test from the Primary Health Care Centre and other documents for submitting her application for disability identity proof.

FACTS AND FIGURES

  • EC Contribution: €1 000 000 (90% of the total)
  • Nagrik Soochna Kendra (Citizen Information Centres) were established in all 6 project locations. They provide information on government services and help tribal people to access them easily.
  • 24 Nagrik Mitras (facilitators of the citizens' information centres) have been recruited in each centre.
  • Beneficiaries: 165 000 poor tribal people in Madhya Pradesh and in Gujarat

PARTNERS

    Aga Khan Rural Support Programme (India) 

 

Project category
Democracy and Human Rights
Address
Gujarat
Editorial sections
India