Role of Gram Panchayat under Swachh Bharat Mission

Swachh Bharat Mission Gramin (SBM(G)) Phase ll has been designed to leverage the capacity of individuals and communities, and especially the Panchayati Raj lnstitutions (PRls) to create a people's movement to ensure that the Open Defecation Free (ODF) status of rural areas is sustained, people continue to practice safe sanitation, all villages have solid and liquid waste management arrangements and ultimately become ODF Plus Model villages.

Provisions in operational guidelines of SBM(G) Phase-ll on role of Gram Panchayats

The operational guidelines of SBM(G) Phase-ll have the following important provisions related to the role of Gram Panchayats and its Standing Committees:  

• The Gram Panchayats will lead the planning process for all assets to be constructed at village level under the SBMG Phase ll and lead the implementation through community mobilization for triggering demand, Hygiene promotion, lEC, Capacity Building, construction and maintenance of Toilets, retrofitting of single pit toilets and connecting septic tanks with soak pits and Solid & Liquid Waste Management (SLWM) assets.
• Gram Panchayats shall have the delegated authority to hire experienced and reputed NGOs / lnstitutions for assisting in carrying out lnter-personal communication and training, construction and management of Community Complexes and Solid and Liquid Waste Management infrastructure.
• A Village Water and Sanitation Committee (VWSC) may be constituted as a sub-committee of GP, for providing support in terms of motivation, preparation of Village Action Plan, mobilization, implementation and supervision of the programme. The MI/SC may have representation from each Ward of the GP and 6 more members. Women should form at least 50% of the members. There should be representation from SCs and STs and poorer sections of the society in proportion to their population in the GP.
• This committee should function as a Standing Committee on Water and Sanitation of the GP and should be an integral part of the Village Panchayat The composition and functions of the VWSC can be determined by the State Government. "Sarpanch / Pradhan" of the GP should be the Chairperson of each VWSC. (Para 8.7 of operational guidelines of SBMG II) 
• Village Action Plan:
  • Each Gram Panchayat will prepare "Village Action Plans" for all of its villages in a convergent manner for the SBM(G) and the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) in a participatory manner, especially involving women and marginalized people, so that everyone could get equally benefitted from the implementation of the Plan. The VAP would act as a resource for the GPDP. (Para 14.1 of operational guidelines of SBMG - II)
  • The Grey Water Management in villages should be planned in consonance with piped water supply already provided to the villages/planned to be provided under JJM or other schemes. The VAP for SBM(G) and JJM should be part of overall GPDP. (Para 14.1 ol operational guidelinee of SBMG-ll) 
  • The plan should be presented in the Gram Sabha and endorsement of the Gram Sabha should be obtained and recorded. All Gram Panchayats/Blocks will develop the plans as per a date decided by the DWSC every year, from 2021 onwards. (Para 14.1 ot operational guidelines of SBMG-ll)
• Planning:
  • The GP shall feed the plan as per GPDP planning principles in the designated Plan Software. The Gram Panchayat through its officials and staff, viz. Panchayat Secretary and Panchayat DEO, will ensure that any change in plan is immediately reflected in the software. (Para 9.1 of operational guidelines of SBMG- II) 
  • All physical and financial progress shall also be immediately updated in the designated software. (Para 9.1 of operational guidelines of SBMG-ll)
  • GPs shall prepare their VAP for all the sanitation activities (including activities to be taken up from SBM(G) as well as 1sth Finance Commission Grants) and shall include them in their GPDP. (Para 14.3.2 of operational guidelines of SBMG-lI)
• lmplementation: GPs should also contribute from their own resources for the financing of community toilets and solid and liquid waste management infrastructure. The GP shall also ensure the correct site selection for building community toilets in all villages and to especially ensure that weaker sections of society including SC/ST population may receive priority for this. All lnstitutions and Committees working within the GP framework have to prioritize sanction within their programmes. (Para 9.2 of operational guidelines of SBMG - II)
• Monitoring: GPs shall play a role in the monitoring of the SBM(G) programme. The GP will organize and assist in organizing Social Audits of the programme. Social Audit meeting will be held in each GP once in six months. The District and the Block shall be responsible to ensure that this schedule is adhered to. The proceedings/minutes of social audit meetings shall also be uploaded on the lMlS of SBM(G) as per module developed and communicated to the States by DDWS. (Para 9.4 & 17.7 of operational guidelines of SBMG-ll)
• Geotagging of assets: All assets constructed under the SBM-G Phase ll programme (including community SLWM assets and CSCs) are to be geotagged using SBM 2.0 mobile app and reported on the SBMG MlS. Protocols and mobile applications developed for the geotagging of SBM(G) Phase-l assets shall continue to remain valid with appropriate modifications and improvisations. (Para 17.4 of operational guidelinas of SBMG II)  
• ODF Plus Declaration: On completing physical targets as reflected in the SBM(G) lMlS, the Gram Sarpanch/Up-Sarpanch/Pradhan/Mukhiya and the Panchayat Secretary shall undertake due diligence of the ODF-Plus arrangements in the villages, after which, a Gram Sabha shall be convened to declare the Panchayat ODF-Plus. (para 17.5 of operational guidelines of SBMG- II) 
• Custodian of the assets: The GPs shall act as the custodian of the assets such as the Community Sanitary Complexes, environmental sanitation infrastructure, drainage etc. constructed under SBM(G). (Para 9.3 of operational guidelines of SBMG II)
• Operation and maintenance as an obligatory component of planning:
  • Effective and decentralized operation and maintenance of assets shall be the hallmark of SBMG Phase ll.
  • Solid and Liquid Waste lt/anagement (SLWM) assets shall be approved only when backed by an effective operation and maintenance plan.
  • Operation and maintenance models could vary from GPs using Finance Commission Funds, taxes, CSR funds to PPP and revenue generation models.
  • SHGs should be involved in O&M of SBM-G assets wherever possible.

The preceding paras of operational guidelines of SBMG-ll have clearly elaborated the role of GPs in planning, implementation, monitoring etc. and mandated the role of Gram Sabha for the approval of VAP. Therefore, when the Gram Sabha is approving VAP, the minutes of such meeting should be uploaded in meetingonline.gov.in and VAP should also be reflected in Gram Panchayat Development Plan (GPDP). However, it is observed that only the activities being taken up from the tied funds of 1sth Finance Commission are being incorporated in GPDP, which is a partial reflection of the efforts being made by the Governments.

Source : Ministry of Panchayati Raj