Freedom from red tape: A village declares self-rule

‘‘Till now, we never knew when gram sabhas would be held. Earlier the officers used to call the villagers, now we will call them for the meetings,’’ said Rambhai Konkani, a villager. Pressure, too, didn’t make the villages buckle.

‘‘The sarpanch was reprimanded by the mamlatdar and we were told that the meeting violated the election code of conduct,’’ said Jairam Vasava, the deputy sarpanch.

The resolutions covered demands to tar a road, provide power to a community hall, ensure basic health facilities and make available information on development work. Significantly, the villagers also sought appointment of Paresh Chaudhari and Himanshu Banker, activists working in the area, as their gramsabha advocates.