Convergent Community Level Action for Andaman villages

Port Blair, Jan 11 (UNI) Outgoing Deputy Commissioner of South Andaman K S Singh has released the status report on Convergent Community Level Action at Bindraban Panchayat (a remote Andaman Village), identified as the model Panchayat in South Andaman.

''Though many agencies are giving their utmost efforts in various villages, the net result of all the efforts is not quite visible.

There is a need to converge and concentrate these efforts to materialise the tangible development among the community,'' Mr Singh told UNI today.

Since Independence, the Andaman Administration initiated and implemented various development projects, aimed at improving the socio-economic status of the islanders.

Following the devastating Tsunami in 2004, various NGOs implemented rehabilitation and reconstruction programmes in the islands.

Similarly, the administration too had been implementing different programmes to achieve their own targets for rehabilitation and reconstruction of infrastructure, including housing.

''When these were reviewed by government departments, NGOs and the banks, it was found that they had their own mandates, targets, establishments and operational areas. Despite the multiple efforts, the net result was not visible up to the extent it was desired,'' Mr Singh said.

Consequently, it was decided that all the agencies would cover their activities in a single panchayat by pooling their resources and work together to maximise the impact.

After brainstorming sessions with the various government departments, banks and organisations working at field level, it was decided that one Panchayat, which was badly hit by the Tsunami, would be selected as a role model.

Subsequently, the Brindaban village in South Andaman district had been identified as the model village by the DC office.

''The Bindraban Panchayat is just a model panchayat, where very positive results have been noted after implementation of Convergent Community Level Action. If this action is implemented in all the remote and backward villages, the situation in these islands will change within a few years,'' Mr Singh added.

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