Revitalization of Rivers in India Draft Policy - Isha Guru Jaggi Vasudev

Revitalization of Rivers In India
Draft Policy Recommendation
PANCHAYATS IN WATERSHED DEVELOPMENT
According to the Common Guidelines for Watershed Development (2008), the GP
would perform the following important functions:
a) Supervise, support, and advise the Watershed Committee, which implements
the watershed development project and is elected by the Gram Sabha, from
time to time.
b) Authenticate the accounts/expenditure statements of the Watershed
Committee and other institutions of the watershed project.
c) Facilitate the convergence of various projects/schemes to institutions of the
watershed development project.
d) Maintain asset registers under the watershed development projects with a view
to manage assets after the watershed development project is over.
e) Provide office accommodation and other requirements to the Watershed
Committee.
f) Allocate usufruct rights to deserving user groups/Self-Help Groups (SHGs) over
the assets created.
Almost all the states have devolved watershed development functions to PRIs. In
Gujarat, PRIs are trained on watershed development and are involved in selecting
beneficiaries, planning, implementing, spending funds and monitoring. In West
Bengal, the Watershed Committee oversees the entire project work, while funds
are routed through the GP. The GP Pradhan, being a member of the Watershed
Committee, ensures the linkage between the Panchayats and the Watershed
Committees. The assets created are maintained by the GP. It also charges the
users who are getting benefits from the assets created.
Annexures
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