Muppala village in the NTR district has all along been known for its local deity, Muppalamma Thalli temple, which gave the village its name. From now on, the village has assumed a new identity, thanks to the recent Panchayat awards. The village was one of the four from Andhra Pradesh to win the awards declared by the Centre.
Muppala gram panchayat was declared the winner under the theme ‘Socially just and socially secured.’ To win the award, the village had to first pass the state's scrutiny, after which they were eligible to apply for the Centre’s award by sharing data and answering the relevant questions.
How did the village win the award? “We made sure the village had good roads, sanitation and bus facilities and government schemes were being implemented smoothly. There was also a regular check on whether children were getting mid-day meals and if women's self-help groups were meeting regularly. Most importantly, there were efforts to curb gender-based discrimination through awareness camps not only in schools but also among the elder population,” said M. Sairam, Village Secretary of Muppala gram panchayat.
The children here are made aware of ‘bad touch, good touch’ right from an early age for female safety and to curb crime against women.
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Bommasamudram gram panchayat in Chittoor district has been adjudged the ‘Healthy panchayat’. The local officials take pride in sharing that the village has witnessed “zero dengue cases and 100 per cent institutional maternity deliveries”. The authorities have facilitated regular door-to-door health surveys and camps to ensure that the villagers are in the pink of their health.
“There are no medical centres in the village. So we turned the panchayat office into a wellness centre. So, more and more people were able to address health issues right at the village level,” informed Y. Mounica, Village Secretary, Bommasamudram.
Nyayampudi gram panchayat from Anakapalli district won an award under the theme, ‘Water sufficient panchayat’ and Tagarampudi gram panchayat from the same district won the award under the category ‘Clean and green panchayat.’
The awards along with a cash prize of Rs 1 crore would be presented by President Droupadi Murmu to the winners at an event scheduled to be held in Delhi on December 11.
