Key Points

The sarpanches of Bhimasar in Kutch, Akhod in Bharuch, and Sultanpur in Navsari - villages honoured as 'Model Villages of Rural Development' and 'ODF Plus Model Villages' - have redefined rural governance by blending urban-level facilities with community-led initiatives.

Bhimasar's woman sarpanch, Daiben Humble, has transformed her village into a clean, green, and self-sustaining community with door-to-door waste collection, a full sewage system, and the 'Green Bhimasar Project', which encourages every family to plant 10 trees.

She also developed the 200-acre 'Vraj Bhumi Farm' to grow fodder for cattle and generate local employment, and has won 13 national awards for her visionary leadership.

In Sultanpur, sarpanch Shashikant Patel has strengthened both infrastructure and social welfare, introducing a Rs 5,000 grant for families on the birth of a girl child, rewarding households with the best kitchen gardens, and installing Braille signage in public toilets - the first such initiative in Gujarat.

The village has achieved 100 per cent compliance with Swachh Bharat Mission norms. Akhod's sarpanch, Narendra Singh Solanki, has championed water conservation and cleanliness through a nano effluent treatment plant that recycles wastewater for agriculture, deepened existing ponds, and constructed new ones. The village also ensures piped water to every household and meets all ODF Plus standards.

In Gujarat, the sarpanch plays a central role in rural governance, acting as the elected head of the gram panchayat and the bridge between villagers and government authorities. Their responsibilities range from implementing state and central welfare schemes to ensuring basic infrastructure like roads, water supply, sanitation, and waste management.

They oversee education and health initiatives, promote women's empowerment, manage village funds, and encourage community participation in development projects. In many cases, Gujarat's sarpanches have gone beyond routine duties, introducing innovations in cleanliness, renewable energy, water conservation, and social welfare, turning their villages into models of sustainable, inclusive growth.

- IANS