LOK SHAKTI SAMITI

This is story of a woman who never thought that she would get an opportunity to lead the gram panchayat. Uma Sav was elected Sarpanch of Singha gram panchayat of Pusor block in Raigarh district in 2005.

Forty-year-old Uma Sav studied till class fifth. When she came to the village after she got married to a village person, she impressed the people with her better communication skills. Earlier she used to go in the open for defecation along with other women from the village. She mixed up with other women and her circle increased gradually. In 2005, Singha Panchayat became reserved for woman and one section from the community encouraged her to contest for the election to the post of Sarpanch. She contested and got elected.

While working as a panchayat representative, she came in touch with LSS through a meeting attended by about 150 men and women. She was really impressed with the way the meeting was organised and with the issues being worked upon by the organisation. Slowly she got deeply linked to the organisation. She participated in the training programme ‘Political Strengthening of Women and Leadership Development’ organised by LSS. She participated in the training programme with a motto that it will provide her the clarity and right direction to her thoughts, and she was right in thinking on such lines. This empowerment, encouragement and capability made her to contest again for the second term on the unreserved seat in 2009-10, and got success. The capacities that build up in her through the training helped her in impressing the villagers with her plans and issues.

The main challenges before the panchayat were drinking water, defecation, cleanliness and education along with getting support from the other members of the panchayat.

Village hand pump had gone dried. As the water level in the village got decreased, only one bore well was in the working condition. The villagers had to go through bullock cart to other village, which is 3 km away, to fetch water in case of absence of electricity. The Sarpanch contacted the collector and PHED along with women from the village to solve this problem. A proposal was passed in the gram sabha and with support from the administration; a hand pump was installed in the village.

Defecation was one of the biggest problems. The ponds in the area get dried up and so the works of deepening it were performed through NREGA interventions. Earlier the village lanes were full of mud. Proper drainage system and concrete lanes were built. Five women SHGs were formed for proper running of mid-day-meal facilities. Public Distribution System was strengthened. People's participation in the village activities was increased. Many of the old age pension issues were solved.

LSS has supported the women's struggle to take up the challenges in the village and got success.