General News

Draft 1 - Handbook on "Utilising 3% development funds of Gram Panchayat to benefit Poor Persons with Disabilities

During the recent Advocacy Programme at GASS, Korategera, Karnataka on 27th Feb 2009 the partner NGOs of CBR Forum from Karnataka shared some innovative ways by which some of them have been able to utlise the 3% Development Fund from the Gram Panchayat (Local Self Government) to benefit persons with disabilities

I am sure many of your organisations and local DPOs have been successful in mobilising resources from the Gram Panchayats.

However this is not the case across rural India. There is limited awareness among the stakeholders on this provision and on how to utilise these resources from the respective Gram Panchayats.

As a group we discussed and came up with an idea of a Handbook on "Utilising 3% development funds of Gram Panchayat to benefit Poor Persons with Disabilities" and we have made a list of Departments in the District for Mainstreaming Disabilities.

The Handbook needs to be adapted to the respective state and translated in local (simple) language. The handbook can be a useful tool for Persons with Disabilities and their guardians, Disabled People's Organisations, CBR Field Staff, NGOs and others for advocacy and lobbying as well.

"THE STRATEGY IS TO LOBBY WITH THE RESPECTIVE PANCHAYAT RAJ/ RURAL DEVELOPMENT DEPARTEMENT TO PRINT AND DISSEMENATE COPIES OF THIS HANDBOOK IN LOCAL LANGUAGE TO ALL THE GRAM PANCHAYATS IN THE STATE/ REGION"

Draft 1 of the Handbook has been attached with this email for your reference. Do send in your comments/ feedback

Please down Handbook from : http://www.dpiap.org/downloads/Handbook_for_GRAM_PANCHAYAT_09_03_06.doc