Decentralised Planning and Data Collection in Selected Panchayats in Kerala, India

D Narayana*

(*With assistance from Joe Varghese)

April, 2001

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Decentralised Planning and Data Collection in Selected Panchayats in Kerala, India

Introduction Kerala, the southwestern state of India, is well known the world over for the remarkable achievements in

human development. Public provision of health care and educational services and their effective

utilization by the population at large are thought to be important factors making for such achievements.

In recent years the state has begun another major experiment in the form of decentralized planning, or

people’s planning. The thrust of the experiment is involving the community in poverty alleviation

programs and public investment projects. While poverty alleviation and public investment has come into

being and is active in the state, data based decision-making is still not developed. Some attempts have

been made but not with much success.

Poverty Alleviation Programs in India The post Second World War optimism with economic growth induced poverty reduction- 'trickle down'-

had turned into despair by the late 1960s in the developing world. The 1970s had seen the initiation of

numerous poverty alleviation programs to provide succor to the poor in the medium term. In the Indian

context, numerous programs were sponsored by the central government1, contributing in some cases

almost 100 percent of the resources needed for implementing them. Over a period of 30 years a

spectrum of programs has taken shape to address the employment and income problems of poor

families, women, deprived groups, backward castes and so on. The states have also come up with some

programs to address specific needs. The programs implemented in the state of Kerala in 1999 are

presented in Table 1.

At the level of the states, the programs were run by line ministries in a top down fashion with very little

local participation. Consequently, the programs faced problems of duplication, exclusion of deserving

cases, and ineffectiveness. Following the 73rd and 74th amendments to the Indian Constitution,

decentralization below the state level became possible. Kerala has taken the lead in devolving

considerable power to the three tier local self-government institutions, which completely changed the

way poverty alleviation programs were implemented.

1 In the Indian federal structure of governance considerable power and responsibility have been devolved on the state governments and they implement the programs, although sponsored by the central government.

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Poverty Alleviation under Decentralisation in Kerala India has a long history of experimenting with decentralisation. The 73rd and 74th Constitutional

Amendments adopted in 1992 is a watershed in the Indian decentralisation experiment. These

amendments required the Indian States to delegate some administrative functions and taxation powers to

local bodies. Among the States, Kerala was in the forefront of decentralisation of powers. It set up a

committee to suggest amendments to Kerala Panchayati Raj and Municipality Acts of 1994 to make the

decentralisation process more operational and comprehensive. Parallel with the Committee’s work and

the legislative moves to translate these suggestions, the ruling Left Democratic Front involved the local

bodies in the formulation and implementation of the Ninth Five Year Plan through a campaign.

Table 1. Poverty Alleviation Programs being Implemented in Kerala, 1998-99. Sponsor Sl.

No. Program Year of

Introduction

Activity Focus

1 Integrated Rural Development Programme (IRDP)

1978-79 75 25 Assist identified poor families in the rural areas to enable them to take up self employment ventures generating additional income

Poverty alleviation

2 Development of Women and children in rural areas (DWCRA)

1982-83 Self employment to poor women on group basis with each group consisting of 10-15 women

Poverty alleviation; Convergence of social welfare, health, nutrition, employment and education

3 Training of Rural Youth for Self Employment (TRYSEM)

Imparting training in basic technical and managerial skills to rural youth in the age group 18- 35 years from families below the poverty line

Poverty alleviation; 50% beneficiaries to be Scheduled Caste/ Scheduled Tribe

4 Supply of Modern tool kits to rural artisans

100 To equip rural artisans with modern tools so as to enable them to earn more income through their traditional skills

Kerala Rural Development and Marketing Society

1986 To provide marketing support to IRDP beneficiaries, rural artisans, DWCRA units etc

Make available raw materials and provide sales outlets

6 Jawahar Rozgar Yojana (JRY)

1989 To create additional gainful wage employment for the unemployed and under employed persons in rural areas

To strengthen rural economic infrastructure

7 Employment Assurance Scheme (EAS)

1994 To provide 100 days of assured employment during the lean agricultural season at minimum wages

Non farm or allied activities

Source: Economic Review 1999.

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The 73rd and 74th Amendments to the Constitution in 1992 left no room for the successive state

legislatures to change the LSGI according to their whims and fancies. They brought about a uniform

three-tier structure- district, block/taluk, and village- in the rural areas. Only for small states with

population less than two million was the intermediate tier optional. The amendments also introduced the

concept of township for smaller urban centres, that is, rural areas in the process of urbanisation.

The Amendments stipulated that the LSGI were to have a uniform 5-year term and in the event of

dissolution elections were to be held within six months. The elections were to be organised by an

independent election commission. There was to be reservation for scheduled caste/ scheduled tribe in

proportion to their population and one-third reservation for women, in membership and chairpersons at

all levels. A separate schedule was added to the Constitution (11th Schedule) listing 29 subjects that

could be devolved to the LSGI. Every state government was to periodically appoint a state finance

commission to determine the share of state government revenues and sources for local revenue for

LSGI, so that they can carry out duties devolved to them.

The LSGIs were to be involved in planning: "The Constitution assigns to the panchayat the function of

planning for social justice and economic development as the primary objective". A new constitutionally

mandated structure, the District Planning Committee, was to be formed in every district. Two-thirds of

the membership of the Committee was reserved for representatives of the District Panchayat and the

urban local self-governments.

The Left Democratic Government assumed power in May 1996 and making use of the opportunity

provided by the constitutional amendments initiated two moves towards effective decentralisation. The

very first move initiated, even before passing the enabling legislation, was "to empower the panchayats

(rural local bodies) and municipal bodies to draw up the Ninth Five Year Plan schemes within their

respective areas of responsibility". The first step towards planning from below was the People's

Campaign for Decentralised Planning initiated in August 1996. The campaign was conducted in a

number of phases involving grama sabhas -the lowest unit electing a representative- and ward

conventions, development seminars, task forces, and preparation of panchayat plans. In the process a

shelf of projects could be built up, prioritised and worked into annual plans. The second move was

essentially a legislative one. A Committee on Decentralisation of Powers (known as S B Sen

Committee) was set up to suggest amendments to Kerala Panchayati Raj and Municipality Acts, 1994 to

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make the decentralisation process more operational and comprehensive. Many measures for

decentralisation were taken on the basis of the report of the committee.

With the introduction of decentralised planning in Kerala, the Poverty Alleviation programs have been

entrusted with the different tiers of local self-governments. One of the basic approaches to decentralised

planning was integration of centrally sponsored schemes with the local projects formulated under

people's planning campaign. Radically new procedures were laid down for selection of beneficiaries.

Grama sabha has been made the agency for selection of beneficiaries of all plan schemes of all tiers of

local bodies and also of centrally sponsored schemes. The list of applications from a ward will be

examined by its grama sabha to identify the eligible applicants. A priority list also has to be prepared.

The eligibility criteria and prioritisation criteria should be explained to the members of the grama sabha.

Representatives of public and local press can have access to the proceedings of this final selection. The

draft list shall be exhibited prominently and the objections considered and reason for rejection stated. A

similar procedure is adopted in the municipalities as well. Overall, selection of beneficiaries, which was

in the hands of government departments, has passed into the hands of elected representatives and

peoples collectives- a truly community based system has come into being.

Following the constitution of Panchayati Raj Institutions and initiation of decentralised planning in

1996, one of the first major activities carried out by the Panchayats in Kerala was the preparation of a

Panchayat Development Report. While preparing the report the absence of reliable data on a number of

aspects of rural work and life became evident. The lack of relevant data was acutely felt when

Gramasabha meetings were held and beneficiary selections had to be made for a number of schemes. To

assess the actual need of the different wards of the Panchayat and population groups became a felt need

and thus began the community-based effort of baseline data collection in many Panchayats.

Some Experiments in Data Collection

This section presents the details of the baseline data collection attempts made by some Panchayats as a

part of decentralised plan campaign. The data collection attempts made by five Panchayats are analysed

here. The surveys analysed were that of Kumarakom Panchayat, Chottanikara Panchayat, Erattupettah

Panchayat, Vellanad Panchayat and Poomangalam Panchayat, selected from various regions of Kerala.

Kumarakom and Erattupettah Panchayats are located in Kottayam district. Vellanad Panchayat is

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situated in Thiruvananthapuram district, Poomangalam is in Thrissur district and Chottanikara is in

Ernakulam district.

The five cases were selected after a detailed discussion with major state level and regional actors of

decentralised plan campaign. The selection of Panchayats was made in such a way as to include

different data collection attempts initiated by different people. The surveys initiated in Kumarakom.

Vellanad, Chottanikara and Erratupettah Panchayats were already known as these had been either

documented earlier or given wide publicity. The survey conducted by Poomangalam represents those

surveys that were initiated with much enthusiasm and later failed for various reasons. Kumarakom was

one of the five Panchayats where Kerala Sastra Sahitya Parishat piloted the base line data collection

exercises. Whilst in Errattupettah Panchayat the proposal for the survey had come from a social activist

and researcher and the Panchayat implemented it, in Chottanikara Panchayat the concept originated in

the Panchayat and implemented with the help of an outside agency. In Vellanad and Poomangalam both

the proposal for the initiation of data collection and its implementation took place within the Panchayat.

The study is based on detailed interview of main actors of the surveys and detailed analysis of the survey

questionnaires and themes. In Kumarakom Panchayat discussions were held with the local coordinator

of the survey, present Panchayat leader (Vice President) and with the secretary of Panchayat

Development Society, the local implementing agency. Besides, state level KSSP activists who were

involved with the survey and three of the local volunteers who took part in the survey were also

interviewed. The key persons interviewed in Erattupettah include chief co-ordinator and chief consultant

of the Healthy Village Project and also with the old and new Panchayat leaders. In Vellanad Panchayat

two of the local level activists who were behind the survey were included in the discussion. Similarly in

Chottanikara Panchayat one key person from EIID project of Eranakulam district Panchayat and local

co-ordinator of the survey in Chottanikara Panchayat were interviewed. Discussions were held with the

Panchayat officials and with the survey co-ordinators in Poomangalam Panchayat.

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Following are the basic themes on which detailed discussions were held with the actors of each of the

surveys.

1. Broad background of the baseline data collection attempt

2. Who initiated the survey and who were involved in it?

3. What was the specific motives behind the initiation surveys?

4. What were the operational strategies adopted in each of the surveys?

5. What baseline information was collected?

6. Who collected the data and analysed it?

7. What were the operational difficulties, if any, encountered in each of the surveys?

8. What was done with the data collected?

The Actors in Data Collection

The main actors behind the decentralised plan campaign realized that drawing the people in to

participatory development planning is more than a utopian vision of development planning. Realizing

this fact the authorities had asked all the Panchayats to come out with a development report at the very

beginning. Each development report was expected to be prepared on the basis of locally available data in

each of the development sector. The Reports contain elaborate discussion of developmental gaps in each

of the developmental sector and possible solutions to it. Many Panchayats did not undertake this massive

responsibility thrust on them in a short span of time properly. Most of the conclusions were based on

perceived needs of the community or inadequate secondary data sources. However this exercise

sensitized many Panchayats to the need for collecting, compiling and using local level baseline data for

development planning.

State authorities involved in decentralised planning exercises knew that such a survey has to be

community based, as it is almost impossible to achieve these with the existing government machinery.

They have also urged Panchayats to undertake these kinds of exercises as part of their annual plans. This

is evident in many of the training handbooks and other campaign materials prepared and circulated by

the State Planning Board. The objectives of such surveys as identified in these documents are 1] to

collect base line data for local development planning, 2] to increase the local level ability in data

collection, data compilation and data analysis, 3] to make decentralised planning accountable and 4] to

make the program implementation efficient.

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Except for the socio-economic survey of Vellanad Grama Panchayat, all other Panchayat surveys

commenced either due to the involvement of an external agency or some local activists or local

voluntary organisations. In Vellanad Panchayat the need for such a survey was felt in the Gramasabha

and it reflected an action in accordance with community’s need. In Kumarakom Grama Panchayat the

very concept of socio-economic survey was started from an external agency and the local community

and the Panchayat leaders played only a passive role in the initiation of the survey. In Erattupettah

Panchayat, though the idea for a health survey had come from an outside source, then Panchayat leaders

showed a great interest in the project and took a prominent role in the later part of the survey. In

Chottanikara and Poomangalam Panchayats a group of local activists suggested the idea for a socio-

economic survey and while in Chottanikara the District Panchayat extended the technical support for the

project, Poomangalam Panchayat carried out the survey on its own.

The motive behind the initiation of the surveys also varied in these Panchayats. In Vellanad and

Poomangalam Panchayats surveys were intended to facilitate local baseline data, which is required for

the local level planning and for the identification of the beneficiaries. Same was the reason for the

Kumarakom Panchayat. Chottanikara Panchayat undertook the survey to facilitate the e-governance

project. In Erattupetta, the survey was undertaken so as to collect base line data for use while writing the

proposal of Healthy Village Project.

The Personnel for Data Collection

Technical inputs for the implementation surveys were drawn from both local and external experts. In all

the Panchayats a local level-monitoring agency was set-up to look after the day today activities of the

survey. In Kumarakom Panchayat one person was identified and supported by the IRTC to monitor the

survey. Panchayat development Society was the local-level implementing agency for the survey in

Kumarakom and Chottanikara Panchayat. In Chottanikara a three-member Panchayat Level Resource

Group [PLRG] was formed which supervised and co-ordinated all activities. They also involved a chain

of supervisors starting from neighbourhood group leaders to elected Panchayat leaders. Village elders

were identified to recheck each day’s collected information. In Erattupettah and Poomangalam

Panchayat medical officer of the local PHC was the implementing officer of the project.

In all the places the manpower needed for the data collection were identified from the community itself.

In Kumarakom, Vellanad and Poomangalam Panchayats data collection was purely voluntary work.

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Data enumerators were paid workers in Chottanikara. While in Erattupettah Panchayat the members of

Self-Help Groups were the survey enumerators, in other places workers were mainly identified from the

community. In Erattupettah a total of sixty women educated at least to the pre-degree level were

selected for data collection. All of them were trained in data collection in a single day training workshop

under the leadership of the local medical officer. Data collection was completed over a period of just 10

days. Household data collection in such a short period has become possible because of high density of

population of the Erattupettah Panchayat. Data collection work was purely on a voluntary basis. The

steering committee members supervised data collection work.

In Poomangalam Grama Panchayat very few volunteers came forward for the data collection and finally

Panchayat authorities engaged field staffs of local PHC and and Anganwadi workers to complete the

data collection. In Poomangalam prior to this survey the government line departments conducted two

household surveys and the workers were remunerated for the data collection. For this reason the

Panchayat officials found it difficult to mobilise community for voluntary work.

In Vellanad Grama Panchayat about 140 volunteers from the entire Panchayat ward, except ward 2,

came forward to participate in the data collection. They were trained to canvas questionnaire and fill

them. Further, during the course of data collection groups would regularly meet and scrutinise each

other’s questionnaire. Errors were noted, discussed in detail and where ever necessary revisits were

carried out to correct the filled in questionnaire. It took about three months to complete the survey.

In Chottanikara Grama Panchayat the enumerators were identified from the community and about 60

persons were selected through an interview. The selection criterion was the general awareness on rural

data source among them. Almost 90% of them were females. Rs.75 per day was given to the field level

enumerators as remuneration and Rs. 90 per day for their group leaders. The organisational set up for

supervision of data collection included different levels with different responsibilities. There were twenty

groups each consists of two enumerators for household data collection and one group leader to supervise

their work. Officers of different line departments trained the enumerators in their respective field. Each

day’s work was rechecked with the help of senior citizens group formed at the ward level. Committees

were formed at the level of neighbourhood groups and at the ward level, which was responsible for

publicity of the project, preparation of route map and trip sheet and other assistance in data collection.

All households were informed at least one week prior to data collection asked to be ready with necessary

documents.

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In Kumarakom, around 75 volunteers took part in the survey. However, as the survey progressed the

cohesiveness of the group was lost and the local leaders had to struggle to bring the volunteers together.

All the data collection work was purely voluntary in nature. Paying data collectors for the work were

against the norms of KSSP. As the survey progressed many volunteers did not turn up. For that reason

the survey had to be stopped in between and the data collection was delayed by two months.

The Common Themes Common themes in survey questions can be grouped into the following 15 blocks. Block 1. Identification details Vellanad Kumarakom Erattupettah Chottanikara Poomangalam House Number X X X X X Survey Number X X X X X Address X Religion X X X X X Caste X X X X X Scheduled cast/tribe X X X X X Possession of ration card X Kerosene permit X Voters card X

While all the Panchayats collected some of the common identification information, Vellanad went on to

collect information on a number of welfare measures for which the state of Kerala is well known. This

included the ration card, kerosene permit, ownership of house plot etc.

Block 2. Details of the house Vellanad Kumarakom Erattupettah Chottanikara Poomangalam Roof- material X X X X Wall- material X X X X Floor- material X X X X Ownership X X X X Area X X Number of families residing X X Ventilation X Payment of building tax X X Phone Connection X X Electricity X X X X Cooking fuel X X X X X Vegetable garden X

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As may be seen, the range of information collected on the particulars of the house was very wide.

Erattupettah survey stands apart from the other surveys with data on a wide range that include details on

the presence of vegetable garden to ventilation of the house. Vellanad survey showed concern for the

home less and families not owning house plot by having a number of questions on, whether rented

house, whether the family owns a plot elsewhere, does the family plan to build a house etc.

One of the most comprehensive aspects covered in all the surveys was the information regarding

individual household members. Here again the Vellanad survey collected information on registration in

the employment exchange, part-time work and language proficiency. Disability of household member

was also an item in all the surveys. The other equally comprehensive aspect is regarding livestock and

agriculture. However, Vellanad, Kumarakom and Chottanikara collect these data in detail; and the other

two Panchayats hardly any detail.

Block 3. Details of the members: Vellanad Kumarakom Erattupettah Chottanikara Poomangalam Age X X X X X Sex X X X X X Relationship to the Head X X X X Marital status X X X X X Education X X X X Skills acquired, technical education X X X X

Occupation X X X X Income X* Registration with employment exchange X X

Av. Employment days X Language proficiency X X Sports &cultural activities X NRI members X X

*Income-individual member’s income Block 4. Livestock and cultivation details Vellanad Kumarakom Erattupettah Chottanikara Poomangalam Number and type- cow, buffalo, goat, chicken, pig etc

X X X X

Output by type and quantity X Milk society membership X Access to veterinary services X

Area under cultivation- crops and output X X X X

Agricultural Equipment X X Irrigation X X Type of crop X X X

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Block 5. Income details Vellanad Kumarakom Erattupettah Chottanikara Poomangalam Main source of Income X Monthly income X X Livestock X X Rent X X Interest X Agriculture X X X X Employment X X X Industry X X X Pension X External remittance X X

Block 6. Expenditure details Vellanad Kumarakom Erattupettah Chottanikara Poomangalam Education X Clothing X Health care X X X Transport X Debts details X Savings X

Extensive information on sources and measure of income and expenditure was collected in Vellanad

survey. Only four surveys collected income and three expenditure details. The survey conducted in

Poomangalam Panchayat collected data on income but not on expenditure details. Chottanikara survey

avoided questions on income and expenditure.

Block 7. Consumption details Vellanad Kumarakom Erattupettah Chottanikara Poomangalam Vegetarian /non vegetarian X Milk X X Rice X Vegetables X Fish X Meat X Soap X

Block 8. Assets Vellanad Kumarakom Erattupettah Chottanikara Poomangalam Household goods X X X Vehicles X X X Land holding X X X X Subscription of newspaper & periodicals X X*

* Number subscribing and number reading – Newspaper, Magazines

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Block 9. Drinking water, sanitation Vellanad Kumarakom Erattupettah Chottanikara Poomangalam Source of water X X X X X Chlorination X Water availability X Type of toilets X X X X X Cattle shed X Waste disposal method X X Mosquito and fly menace X X

All the five surveys collected data on source of drinking water and type of toilets available. However,

questions on chlorination of wells and presence of cattle shed close to the house were present only in the

Erattupettah survey. Details of waste disposal method were collected in Erattupettah and Vellanad

survey.

The Erattupettah survey has collected most of the required information on RCH except for child

mortality. Questions on family planning experience has figured only in Erattupettah questionnaire.

Kumarakom survey has collected details on direct cost of delivery. Poomangalam health survey was

conspicuous for its absence of questions on most aspects of RCH.

Block 10. Reproductive and Child Health Vellanad Kumarakom Erattupettah Chottanikara Poomangalam Eligible couple X Family planning methods X* Sex X X X Birth weight X X X Place of birth X X Normal or C-section X X X Delivery expenses X* Pregnancy Registration X Antenatal care X X Post natal care X X Birth registration X X Pregnancy immunisation X X Child nutrition –practice X X Nutritional status X* X** Child Immunization X X X X Child mortality X* Child health card X Angaganwadi X

*Nutritional status – children; ** Nutritional status –children and adult *Child mortality- age, sex, cause of death, registered or not; *Delivery expenses –Fees, medicines, travel and others * Family Planning – family planning advice, adopted method and reasons for selecting particular method.

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Block 11. Health status Vellanad Kumarakom Erattupettah Chottanikara Poomangalam Disability X* X** X** X** X** Death registration X X Cause of mortality X X Morbidity X* X** X*** X**** Hospitalisation period X Place of care X Personal habits X X X* Blood group X X Criminal offences [registered] X*

*Disability- nature, congenital; ** Disability –nature; *Morbidity and health care (previous month); ** Morbidity Acute [2 weeks] and chronic [three months or more]; *** Morbidity – Acute [2 weeks] and chronic [1 year or more]; **** Morbidity – chronic only [3 months duration]; *Personal habits –frequency; *Criminal offences – suicide attempts, domestic violence Block 12. Access to health care and its utilisation Vellanad Kumarakom Erattupettah Chottanikara Poomangalam Distance to the health centre X X* X** Utilisation of PHC X X* Commonly used Health care system [PVT/PUB] X

Commonly used system of medicine X X X

Service of field staff X X KAP important medical conditions X*

*Distance to the health centres –private and public; **Distance to the health centres – public * Utilisation of PHC – reasons for not using; *KAP -of dysentery, dog bite, Japanese encephalitis and child feeding. Block 13. Details on social security schemes Vellanad Kumarakom Erattupettah Chottanikara Poomangalam Whether registered X Whether receive benefits X

Whether registered, if so whether receives benefits etc Block 14. Loans taken Vellanad Kumarakom Erattupettah Chottanikara Poomangalam Source X X Amount X X Year X X Repayment X X

Block 15. Participation in Local Self Government Vellanad Kumarakom Erattupettah Chottanikara Poomangalam X

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Though most of the survey questionnaires comprise common aspects, some of them include questions

that are designed to capture specific information. The questionnaire prepared by Erattupettah Panchayat

collects detailed information on environmental and sanitary conditions of households. The survey also

seeks information on knowledge, attitude and practice of certain remedies and treatment of common

diseases. Elaborate data were collected on cost of health care in the Kumarakom survey. It includes

questions on health expenditure under different heads like cost of treatment of chronic and acute

morbidity, direct cost of delivery, expenditure under different heads like cost of travel, medicines,

investigations, fees, loss of work etc. The questionnaire also collects data on number of death and cause

of death. Another exclusive feature of this survey is the questions on violence and crime.

A conscious effort seems to have been made to collect information on access to some of the public

services in two Panchayats. In Vellanad, there were pointed questions regarding the possession of ration

card, ownership of house plot, ownership of house, access to immunisation service of livestock,

condition of the road to the house, and distance to the nearest electricity post for non-electrified house.

Further, specific questions were asked on welfare programs- the benefits received, pensions received,

unemployment allowance received etc.

In Erattupettah, poverty was one of the main concerns of the survey. One of the striking questions was,

Does the family have the wherewithal to feed all its members three meals a day. Further, the 4 by 9

criteria used in identifying poor families were explicitly incorporated in the survey: (1) Does belong to

SC/ST? (2) Is there a child below five years? (3) Is there an illiterate? (4) Is only one adult member

employed or none is employed? (5) Type of house (6) No latrine in the house? (7) Safe drinking water is

not available? (8) Is there an alcoholic or drug addict in the family? (9) Only two square meals or less is

available? The lack of such pointed questions in other surveys was surprising as with decentralisation

integration of a number of poverty alleviation schemes with local planning was taking place.

Data Utilisation

In Vellanadu and Poomangalam Panchayat the collected data has not been compiled and made available

at the Panchayat level. In Vellanadu data entry was entrusted with Information Mission Kerala; a Kerala

government agency engaged in development of software solutions for local self-governments, which

prolonged the work unduly. The Panchayat authorities have been keenly awaiting the database, which

they intend to use for a number of activities in connection with the Panchayat level planning. No work in

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relation with data entry took place in Poomangalam as by the end of data collection the survey lost its

track. The present Panchayat President considers the project as a total failure. He has expressed serious

doubts about the reliability of the data, as there were no mechanisms to recheck the collected

information. The entire data collected is lying idle in the Panchayat office. The survey was poorly

designed which failed in mobilising much needed community support.

In Kumarakom, the massive data collected is being analysed by the IRTC. The final report is yet to be

available with the Panchayat authorities. One of the major actors of the scheme and the local level

activist does not see any possibility of use of data for the planning process. According to him capacity of

Panchayats to utilise such data source for planning process has not been improved yet. When asked

about the possibility of periodic updating of data to assess the changes in the socio-economic status of

the community, the new Panchayat leaders do not seem to be much informed of the survey and also do

not see much use of the survey results.

In Erattupettah the survey was conducted to assess the baseline data that is required for the preparation

of components under Healthy Village Project. Three medical camps were conducted in three localities

for those people who were identified from the survey as sick. School medical camps were conducted

under Healthy Village Project and health cards were issued to all the students. When the new Panchayat

leaders took charge after election to the Panchayat, all the work related to the Healthy Village Project

took a temporary halt. Though there is continuity in the political party in power, the steering committee

had difficulties in convincing the new members in proceeding with the Healthy Village Project. Thus

ideas like periodic up-gradation of survey data was not considered at all. However based on the survey

results a project proposal was submitted to World Health Organisation and recently the Panchayat has

received a significant funding. Now the new Panchayat committee hopes to include a periodic data

collection component in this project.

In Chottanikara Panchayat, the opposition party came to power after the election. The new Panchayat

leaders of Chottanikara Panchayat were reluctant to go ahead with the project. Even after repeated plea

from Panchayat Development Committee, they didn’t show any interest. Now the earlier leaders see

problems in using this data at a later stage as it would be old by then and it would be difficult to

convince people again for another round of data collection.

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Conclusion

In summary, following the decentralisation legislation there is a felt need at the Panchayat (the lowest

unit of local self government) level for, data collection, capacity building for collection, analysis, and

use of data, and for programme monitoring. The Panchayat level experiments studied took up these

challenges differently, some prompted by external agencies and individuals, and some from within the

Panchayat following deliberations in Grama Sabha meetings. All the five Panchayats had collected

information on,

− Social characteristics of the family

− Housing and amenities, drinking water and sanitation

− Family size, education, skill and occupation

− Productive assets and income

− Reproductive and child health (at least three out of the five)

− Health status, disability, and access to health care

In most Panchayats the data collected has not been entered into a computer for easy retrieval or analysis;

Panchayat members were not sensitized to the data use or their capacity for retrieval and use improved.

It is evident that voluntary data collection does not always work. When there is popular participation and

data collection is short duration effort volunteers come forward. But a survey in the immediate past by

paid workers leads to expectations of monetary gain.

The utilisation of data for local planning was not to be seen in any of the Panchayats, except one where

the intention and effort in that direction was evident. Limited utilisation of data for project preparation

was evident in some Panchayats. The sensitisation and participation of Panchayat members from the

beginning has lead to better utilisation of data. But the use of the data for local planning, plan

implementation, beneficiary selection, or monitoring, has not been demonstrated.