ITANAGAR, 12 Dec: A 25-member delegation from Arunachal Pradesh, comprising members of panchayati raj institutions (PRI) and community-based organisations (CBO), returned to the state on 12 December after a weeklong exposure tour of Kerala.
The programme, organised by the State Institute of Rural Development & Panchayati Raj (SIRD&PR), was funded under the Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan of the union panchayati raj ministry.
The delegation included one zilla parishad chairperson, five zilla parishad members, three PRI officials, one self-help group (SHG) leader, and 15 gram panchayat chairpersons from Kurung Kumey, Kra Daadi, Kamle, Lower Subansiri, and Keyi Panyor districts.
The delegation was led by SIRD&PR Assistant Director Tamar Baki, in collaboration with the district mission unit of Kudumbashree, Thrissur district, Kerala. The exposure visit was aimed at providing the participants with firsthand experience of Kerala’s panchayati raj system and community-driven development initiatives.
Key highlights of the programme includedunderstanding panchayat structures and functionsthrough interactive sessions; engagements with CBOs and SHGs; evaluation of the Haritha Karma Sena’s waste management initiatives in Nenmanikkara gram panchayat; visits to projects demonstrating MGNREGA-panchayat convergence and other livelihood activities; visits to the family health centre at the Mattathur FHC and the Nutrimix unit for nutritional food supplements; and visits to the BUDS school in Cherupu gram panchayat and the Guruvayoor tourist facilitation centre.
“During the tour, the delegates interacted with Puthukkad MLA KK Ramachandran and Kerala Revenue & Housing Minister K Rajan. Both leaders shared their experiences and insights on Kerala’s governance model, emphasising the significance of PRI-CBO convergence in driving sustainable development,” Baki informed in a release.
