Shimla village nominated for National Panchayat Awards

Thanedhar gram panchayat in Shimla has been recommended by the Department of Panchayati Raj and Rural Development for the National Panchayat Awards in three categories.

A total of nine panchayats have been selected from 3,615 after a rigorous selection process for the awards given by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj under nine different themes pertaining to the localisation of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Thanedhar, the only panchayat to be nominated in more than one category, has been recommended for the award under the themes of ‘Clean and Green Village’, ‘Social Justice and Socially Secured Panchayat’ and ‘Panchayat with Good Governance’.

Unique feat

• Thanedhar, the only panchayat to be nominated in more than one category, has been recommended for the award under the themes of ‘Clean and Green Village’, ‘Social Justice and Socially Secured Panchayat’ and ‘Panchayat with Good Governance’.

“We are extremely happy and proud to be nominated for the National Panchayat Awards under three different themes. We see it as a validation of our work, and it will encourage us to improve our panchayat further,” said Sandeep Shroal, pradhan of the panchayat.

Among the three categories it has been nominated in, it stands the best chance of winning a national award in ‘Panchayat with Good Governance Category’. The panchayat has built a gym, library, a four-room guest house and has an impressive digital presence with a WhatsApp group, a Facebook page and a website. “We have gone digital for prompt dissemination of information to the residents, and to ensure transparency in the working of the panchayat,” said Shroal, the young pradhan of the panchayat. The facility of gym and library is helping in keeping the youth away from substance abuse.

“A good number of youths are using the gym. It keeps them busy and engaged, away from the dark alleys of drug abuse,” said Shroal.

The panchayat has won a nomination in the ‘Clean and Green Panchayat’ category for its effective waste management system. Thanedhar is one of the few panchayats to have a solid waste management plant and door-to-door garbage collection system. “We have bought a pick-up van for the collection and disposal of garbage. Apart from cleaning up our own panchayat, we gather waste from the neighbouring five panchayats as well,” Shroal said.

The nomination in the ‘Social Justice and Socially Secured’ category came on the basis of the work it has done in helping eligible individuals get enrolled for the old-age pension. The panchayat helped 300 people get pension in 2022-23 . “We went to the houses of eligible individuals, and completed the entire paper work. Then we took the papers to the authorities concerned and got them enrolled for the pension,” said Shroal. Besides, the panchayat has been quite active and encouraging in forming self-help groups of local women. “We have 25 self-help groups of women, with over 200 women involved in these groups. Most of these groups are doing quite well,” said the pradhan.