Ishan Bakshi's article, "For panchayats, financial freedom a distant dream" (June 10), is timely and demands the immediate attention of policymakers.
I grew up in a small village near Bayana in Rajasthan. The sarpanch was a hero for youngsters like me in those days. More often than not, the sarpanch was a well-built, middle-aged man with a mustache, who always enquired about our studies.
When we say that India lives in the villages, the hero has to be the sarpanch. Sarpanches in some villages of Gujarat have done a remarkable job. The National Rural Livelihoods Mission and panchayats are like two peas in a pod; they can pay rich dividend to villages.
All recognised management institutes should offer short courses on panchayat management. Panchayats are our lifeline. Enhancing digital knowledge; trips to states to see how panchayats are keeping villages clean, using solar energy, training Accredited Social Health Activists and coordinating with NGOs are just some of the areas where sarpanches need exposure.
N K Bakshi, Ahmedabad
Letters can be mailed, faxed or e-mailed to:
The Editor, Business Standard
Nehru House, 4 Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg
New Delhi 110 002
Fax: (011) 23720201 · E-mail: letters@bsmail.in
All letters must have a postal address and telephone number
