Gram Swaraj

At Village level, the JD Foundation hopes to bring back the era of the Gram swaraj which basically means strengthening of the local institutions. The top down approach has resulted in disconnected planning and development initiatives resulting in poor governance. It is time for a relook and a Participatory approach in Planning and Development at the lowet level needs to be rediscovered. JD Foundation has taken certain symbolic initiatives to empower People’s voice and ‘People’s Manifesto’ is one such attempt. It is an attempt to create a system of governance by the people, of the people and for the people.

Village Manifesto:

This initiative of peoples’Manifesto is a step in this direction to empower the Citizens to put forward their collective demands. We believe this exercise will empower the communities to assert pressure on Politicians & Administrators & get their demands addressed.

People’s Manifesto is a document on the Needs and Requirements of a small area enshrined as a Public Declaration. This can be gathered from all the people of the area and ratified through a Gram Sabha as a People’s Manifesto. The people can also assert pressure on politicians to give it in writing on a bond paper that they will implement the points once elected as representatives

This initiative of JD foundation has taken shape into reality at multiple constituencies in the recent (2018) Legislative Assembly elections in Telangana. Sherlingampally, Sattupally, Jangaon, Warangal are some constituencies where the community owned this concept.