Gram panchayats are local government bodies at the village level in India. As of 2002 there were about 265,000 gram panchayats in India.
Google.org has announced awards for innovative panchayats and encourage more innovation in local governance throughout the country. Initially the top five innovative panchayats in each state , Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, will be awarded a cash prize of Rs. 5 lakhs for each panchayat.
Link: http://www.google.org/ggpp.html
All legally recognized gram panchayats in the states of Karnataka or Andhra Pradesh can apply before January 25, 2009.
The prize will be awarded in one of six areas: education, health and nutrition, water supply, rural infrastructure, rural electrification, and resource mobilization.
This for me is really an innovative idea from Google.org. Gram panchayats play a vital role when the change has to happen at the grassroots level. Rewarding the work done by the panchayats is a sure way to encourage them to do more for the community they are serving. The awarded panchayats will inspire others panchayats to do their best.
6 Comments
I hope we have enough gram panchyat office with a system and internet connection reading your blog.
Hmm… It seems Google is advertising through traditional paper media also… so panchayats can easily know about the prize…
Hmm… that sounds great. But don’t you think most or none of the gram panchayats have any idea what google is. Google could use some innovation to market the program. Sure they would.
@bharath: I have seen an advertisement by Google in ‘Telugu’ language in Eenadu daily news paper!
i guess this is just one more advertising startegy by Google the great ,otherwise practically speaking how many people of those panchayats have Internet Awareness .
Nice to see some of you are really keen on Gram Panchayat issues. We have for the first time in India implemented a Community Portal and WOrkflow automation solution in a GP. The villagers are excited to use and if any of you are interested to see a DEMO, contact me. Thanks.