Team Goemkarponn
CANACONA: Agonda Sarpanch Prettal Fernandes appointed on Sarpanch Samvaad Advisory Committee (SSAC).
Fernandes became the first and only from Goa amongst the 24 designated members from 17 States of India along-with Institutional members from Quality Council of India(QCI).
Fernandes is amongst the 11 new representatives from selected and appointed across the Pan-India.
Previously known as Sarpanch Samvad Executive Committee (SSEC) with already 13 appointed members, beginning 22nd Oct’2024 is officially revamped as Sarpanch Samvad Advisory Committee. The newly structured body unites all 13 previously appointed members of the Executive Committee with the inclusion of 11 new representatives from Various regions across India, bringing the total to 24 designated members from 17 India States along with institutional members from QCI.
Agonda Sarpanch name –Prettal Fernandes (Goa) figures in the list of 11 designated members(new appointments) along with Neeru Yadav(Rajasthan), Meenu Chhetri (Uttarakhand) Sapna Chaturvedi (UP), Prahlad Singh (Andaman& Nicobar Islands), Babitha Kumari (Bihar) , Issa Ali (Ladakh), Sheeja Surendran (Kerala), Shahaji Kshirsagar (Maharashtra), , Namita Nag (Odisha), H.C. Umesh (Karnataka).
It may be recalled that Agonda Sarpanch Ms. Prettal Fernandes represented Goa at the World Environment Day (WED-2023) celebrations at New Delhi in June 2023 and received the ‘Clean & Green’ category National panchayat Award-2023, after Agonda Grampanchayat is the one and only panchayat from Goa State shortlisted by Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, New Delhi, for the ‘Clean & Green’ Category National Panchayat Awards-2023, amongst the shortlisting’s of 100 odd Gram Panchayats in different categories from all over the country .
In a communiqué congratulating Prettal Fernandes for accepting appointment as member of the Sarpanch Samvaad Advisory Committee (Salahkar Samiti) stated, ‘ on behalf of the Quality Council of India (QCI), an autonomous body jointly set up by the Government of India and premier Indian industry associations in 1997, Sarpanch Samvaad would like to extend its heartfelt congratulations to you on accepting your appointment as a member of the Sarpanch Samvaad Advisory Committee (Salahkar Samiti).’
‘Your commitment to serving as a Member of the Sarpanch Samvaad Advisory Committee (Salahkar Samiti) at QCI is a testament to your outstanding leadership and dedication to community service. Through this initiative, we envision the creation of ‘Quality Villages,’ where every aspect of rural living, from infrastructure and healthcare to education and socio-economic development, is marked by excellence. Leadership and good governance are key drivers in transforming villages into centers of excellence. Sarpanch Samvaad is a pioneering initiative by QCI, focused on grassroots development through the empowerment of sarpanchas, who lead rural local governance. To achieve this goal, QCI launched the Sarpanch Samvaad mobile application on September 12, 2023, as a unique solution to build a nationwide network of sarpanchas, aimed at improving the quality of life in rural India. The initiative empowers leaders through knowledge sharing, training, and capacity building, while also recognizing and leveraging the exemplary work done by sarpanchas across the country.
As an esteemed member of the Sarpanch Samvaad Advisory Committee (Salahkar Samiti), we seek your valuable support in various activities, including mentorship, strategic guidance, and fostering innovative solutions to challenges. Your on-ground expertise will be essential in guiding key decisions related to the project, such as mobile app development, rural interventions, building quality villages, and CSR initiatives. Moreover, your experience will be crucial in helping the initiative expand its reach,
According to Sarpanch Prettal Fernandes, QCI officials were in constant touch with her since, Agonda Panchayat received the ‘Clean & Green’ National Panchayat Award-2023 updating themselves about the functioning and works being undertaken by Agonda Gram-Panchayat. ‘ Now its been a week that I received the appointment letter and only on Wednesday through a video conference call welcomed all the new 11 members and discussions were held.
Since months now, they were regularly collecting all the updates as what new and innovative things have been done and they conducted a ‘case-study’ of our Panchayat and the Sarpanch, and have even brought out a booklet, based on which they may have nominated my name and sought my willingness which I readily agreed to be the member on Sarpanch Samvaad Advisory Committee (Salahkar Samiti).
Speaking to this correspondent, Agonda Sarpanch said, ‘I feel privileged and blessed that our Panchayat activities are recognized at the highest level of our nation, and my appointment on the committee will collectively (along with other members) help me to bring-in some new and innovative ideas in development, rural interventions, improve quality of villages, not only for the betterment of our one Village, but to all the villages of our State in Goa.’
