Daijiworld Media Network – Udupi

Udupi, Aug 18: Five of Udupi district’s 155 grama panchayats have earned the prestigious National Panchayat Awards, achieving the rare distinction of winning national recognition simultaneously for their work despite operating with limited resources.

Madamakki, Hakladi, Vandse, Mudradi and Sanoor grama panchayats have been recognised for their achievements in water management, social security, healthcare, women’s empowerment and infrastructure development. Their success stories offer examples of how grassroots initiatives can create meaningful change in rural communities.

Vandse grama panchayat (file photo)

At the same time, however, the glow of these awards contrasts with some persistent ground realities in these villages, including inadequate electricity supply, damaged roads and limited employment opportunities. Here is a detailed look at the achievements as well as the challenges faced by these award-winning panchayats.

Madamakki: A ‘water-sufficient’ village

Located on the edge of the forests in Hebri taluk, Madamakki Grama Panchayat has emerged as a model in water management by supplying piped water to more than 800 households using just nine borewells and three public wells.

The formula for success

• Water meters have been installed in all 800 households, while monthly charges are collected through ‘Nal-Jal Mitras’. Water quality is tested every month.
• Overhead tanks are cleaned once every four months, while strict measures are taken to prevent water leakage.
• Even poor families without RTC documents are provided with piped water supply.
• Under the MGNREGS, more than 100 wells and over 50 check dams have been constructed. Two Madagas have been desilted to provide water for animals and birds and help recharge groundwater. Soak pits and rainwater harvesting have also been given priority.

Electricity and road infrastructure remain a concern

Despite adopting several measures to ensure the success of development works, the village has another side to its story. Several households still do not have electricity connections.

“I have a child studying at home and we are living in a hut. Please provide electricity for my child’s future,” a resident, Saku, said, expressing her anguish.

The presence of unpaved roads also makes travel difficult during the monsoon. Residents have urged the authorities concerned to take steps to address these basic infrastructure problems.

Hakladi: Social security for all

Hakladi Grama Panchayat in Kundapur taluk has won recognition in the social security category by achieving 100 per cent coverage of eligible beneficiaries under pension schemes, providing special identity cards to persons with disabilities and strengthening healthcare security.

Key achievements

• A total of 1,320 eligible beneficiaries receive monthly pensions under schemes including Sandhya Suraksha and Maithri.
• Rations and pensions are delivered directly to the homes of 12 bedridden patients.
• All 102 persons with disabilities in the village have been issued UDID cards.
• As many as 4,800 Ayushman Bharat cards have been distributed to eligible families, while 18 houses have been constructed for SC/ST families.

Road outside GP office in poor condition

While the panchayat has succeeded in ensuring social security for all, locals are unhappy that the road directly in front of the gram panchayat office is in a severely damaged condition, making travel difficult for motorists and the public.

Vandse: A healthy panchayat

Vandse Grama Panchayat has given special emphasis to healthcare, education, sanitation and women’s empowerment. It has received the Healthy Panchayat award in recognition of the distinctive community palliative care services being provided in collaboration with the Niramaya Society.

Revolutionary steps

• A total of 305 people from Vandse and six surrounding panchayats have been identified and are receiving care. They include people suffering from chronic and terminal illnesses, senior citizens, those experiencing depression and people abandoned by their families.
• The centre’s staff provide continuous services to 71 bedridden persons, 122 people dependent on others for their daily needs and 112 patients suffering from terminal illnesses.
• Two ambulances and a freezer box for preserving bodies have been provided for the convenience of patients and their families.

The panchayat’s continued encouragement has also produced a significant turnaround in education. The number of students at Vandse Government School has risen from just 89 in 2015 to 334 today.

Mudradi: Moving towards a poverty-free panchayat

Mudradi Gram Panchayat in Hebri taluk has rewritten the story of rural poverty eradication and women’s self-reliance by successfully organising women’s self-help groups under the Sanjeevini scheme.

Women-led economic transformation

• A total of 650 women have been organised into 65 active self-help groups, with 100 per cent bank linkage provided to all members.
• Loans amounting to Rs 1 crore have been facilitated to establish small businesses. In this agriculture-dominated region, women are engaged in activities including pickle-making, preparation of chicken rotti, beekeeping and running beauty parlours.
• An appropriate market mechanism has been created under the Sanjeevini scheme for local products made by women.
• All eligible beneficiaries have been provided 100 per cent coverage under social security schemes, including the Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme of the Union government, the state government’s old-age pension and widow pension schemes.

Sanoor: Building towards self-reliance

Sanoor Grama Panchayat in Karkala taluk, with a population of 7,371, has demonstrated considerable efficiency in creating infrastructure conducive to village self-reliance despite geographical challenges.

Challenges faced by the panchayat

• Heavy monsoon rainfall in the coastal region causes roads to deteriorate every year, posing a major challenge to infrastructure maintenance.
• The panchayat had faced difficulties in finding suitable land for constructing a Solid and Liquid Resource Management (SLRM) unit and commercial complexes.

Scientific solutions and achievements

• Overcoming the shortage of land and other challenges through scientific planning, the panchayat renovated and transformed its gram panchayat building into a well-equipped facility with modern amenities. It has now become a centre for transparent administration.
• Through several innovative initiatives, systems have been put in place to ensure that all services available to the public under the Panchayati Raj system are delivered conveniently and transparently.

The five Udupi panchayats are among the six Karnataka panchayats recognised under the Deen Dayal Upadhyay Panchayat Satat Vikas Puraskar (DDUPSVP) for 2025.

The Union Ministry of Panchayati Raj has recognised Mudradi for poverty-free and enhanced livelihoods, Vandse for healthcare, Madamakki for water sufficiency, Sanoor for self-sufficient infrastructure and Hakladi for social justice and social security.