District-level Sharing on Devolution in Institutions of Local Self-Governments, Madhubani, 21 January

Sharing the findings of the study on Deepening Devolution in the Institutions of Local Self-Governments, a one-day workshop was organised by PRIA at Rahika Central Cooperative Hall, Madhubani, Bihar, 21 January.

The findings were based on the study of the devolution of functions, functionaries and fund in the health sector. In the presentation on the status of devolution, it was highlighted that Bihar is one of the states, which devolved all the 29 subjects, listed in the Schedule XI of the Constitution, to the Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs). The state has also completed the exercise related to activity mapping. However, because of poor devolution on the aspects of functionaries and funds, the impact is not substantial. Further, it was also shared that in the case of Urban Local Bodies (ULBs), devolution is not made at all. On the issues related to health, it was shared that department of health has completed the activity mapping in the year 2001. However, officials of the health department are violating this activity mapping very often, and the state-level officials are performing most of the activities. It was also observed that the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) has created a parallel set up in the health department. The overall impact of all these could be seen in the poor delivery of health services to the common people. Data related to infant mortality rate (IMR), maternal mortality rate (MMR), sex ratio, different diseases prevalent in Madhubani were also shared during the presentation.

On the basis of the study, a model of devolution was also shared in the workshop so that the services related to health could be improved in Madhubani with the help of a sustainable institutional mechanism. Representatives of the District Planning Committee, Zilla Parishad, Municipal Council, NGOs, academia and media attended this workshop.