Elected Women Representatives (EWRs) show the Way

Elected women Panchayat raj institution functionaries are these days playing an active role in promoting protective environment for women in the villages as well as ensuring access to different services of Government. In order to bring this to the notice of common people, 20 elected women representatives  from 24 panchayats of Bhubaneswar and Balianta Block held a meeting and had an interaction with different electronics and print media representatives of the city at the Red Cross Bhavan, Bhubaneswar.

The women representatives shared different  success stories as well as issues, which are yet to be resolved while interacting with the Media. The workshop was organized by People’s Cultural centre (PECUC) in collaboration with The Hunger Project. Addressing the  audience,  Mrs Anuradha Mohanty, Executive Director, PECUC spoke about the active participation of 186 Elected Women Representatives (ERWs) from 24 Panchayats of both the blocks in pallisabha and Gramsabha.

She hailed the work of the Elected Women panchayat functionaries in the name of ALIBHA Federation in resolving different issues unitedly & promoting a protective environment in the villages. The President of ALIBHA Federation, Archana Sahoo, Secretary Sanjukta Parida, Ward member Bhingarapur, Lochani Behera, Sarpanch Bhainchua, Sasmita Mallik, Ward member Tikarapada Panchayat, Mina Kandi, Ward member, Daruthenga, Nirupama Parida, and Mamata Mukhi, Ashamani Sahoo (Kakarudrapur) and Premalata Parida (Bentapur) participated in the interface and shared different success stories, including monitoring and supervision of mid-day-meal programmes at schools and anganwadi services.

They also revealed how they monitor and assist in the construction of road work, distribution of pension, access to different Govt. schemes and programmes, Awareness generation on Domestic violence issues and raised voices against  domestic violence issues, anti liquor campaign, rectification of  voter identity card, PDS Distribution  etc.

Eminent journalist Mr. Prdaosh Pattnaik, who presided over the function, spoke about the role of media in identifying and resolving grass root level issues. Ms  Jyoti Mohapatra, Programme Manager PECUC gave vote of thanks and among other PECUC team members  Mr Jyoti Mohanty, Upama Mohanty, Pradeepta Beura and Jayashree Sahoo supported in organizing the workshop.