Sampark views panchayats as vehicle of development at the grassroots. It visualises panchayats as a forum for removing obstacles in the implementation of government schemes like social security pensions, national family assistance scheme, national maternity assistance scheme, public distribution system, anganwadi, antyodaya scheme, total rural employment scheme, food for work, etc.

To enable the people to benefit from these schemes, they were given detailed information. Lists of stakeholders who were left out from the purview of schemes were prepared and their demands were put before the gram sabha. In case sufficient response did not come from the gram sabha, the matter was taken to higher levels like village secretariat, sub-divisional secretariat and divisional secretariat. In case solution did not come from the divisional secretariat too, the matter was raised before the District Collector.

If all these avenues failed to deliver, the matter was taken to court. Attempts have been made to raise 115 issues related to the developmental schemes of the villages with Supreme Court too.

While working on people’s rights, it was always kept in mind that local people were associated and controlled the entire process and taken forward by them only. The role of Sampark is confined to giving information and facilitator.

Read Report: Madhya Pradesh Jankaravan 2005