Samarthan addresses the ground realities and reviews service provision in both rural and urban contexts, through evidence based and action oriented research. We are experienced in using qualitative and quantitative research methods, impact assessments, participatory monitoring on the issues of decentralization and development. We further promote the RTI for greater accountability and transparency and the NREGA to strengthen lower levels of governance to deliver right to employment.
1. Deliverance of Community Rights under Forest Rights Act
Government of India took note of the relationship of the tribals and the forest resources and enacted the Scheduled Tribe and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Forest Rights Act) 2006. The Act makes a provision of user rights for the traditional community resources or lands which the tribes or other traditional forest dwellers had been using since generations. Samarthan conducted a study to ascertain whether the implementation of the Act has been done according to its spirit in case of Forest Community Rights.
2. Monitoring Municipal Services Through Report Card Survey in Bhopal
To deepen the engagement with the citizens as well as the municipality, citizen report card is being prepared in the three of the intervened towns. The questionnaire has been designed and the data collection has been initiated. A sample of about 900 citizens living in different wards/ locality representing varying income categories has been collected. The report will be taken up with the municipal bodies and the residents to take up joint corrective actions to improve the situation.
3. Municipal Finance Study
Status of Municipal Finance was examined using the data from five municipalities namely- Sidhi, Sehore, Ajaygarh, Mandsaur and Icchawar. Three of the towns are Nagar Palika while Ajaygarh and Icchawar are Nagar Panchayat. Financial heads were analyzed on the basis of the data of the last 5 years. Main trends that were visible were excessive dependence on the grants, poor tax collection especially the property tax (nearly 5 to 7 percent of the total tax revenue), very high (48% to 55%), establishment cost and a very high revenue expenditure on supply of water. (draft report)
4. Barriers To Access Rights, Entitlements And Municipal Services By The Poor
The study was undertaken to identify the barriers the urban poor who live in slums face in accessing statutory rights/entitlements/benefits as citizens of Madhya Pradesh Falling within the purview of the Madhya Pradesh Urban Services for the Poor (MPUSP) programme, a partnership between the Government of Madhya Pradesh and the UK Department for International Development (DFID), the study was commissioned by the Bhopal Municipal Corporation under MPUSP and conducted by Samarthan. The rights/ benefits/ entitlements focused were birth/death registration, social security pensions, vendor lincenses, voter ID cards/ ration cards. (link to full report)
5. Water supply and Sanitation in Small Towns of MP
The study was conducted to assess the status of sanitation and water supply in smaller towns of Madhya Pradesh from citizen’s’ perspective. It was undertaken in five Nagarpalika/Nagar panchayat towns of the state: Sehore, Seoni, Tikamgarh, Sidhi and Ajaygarh. The topics covered under sanitation included environmental issues like garbage collection, drainage etc and household issues like coverage of household toilets. Water supply covered issues like constraints in access to safe drinking water and status of water availability.