Being Self-Reliant! Woman Sarpanch From Odisha Cultivates Vegetables On Her Land, Encourages Healthy Consumption

India's battle with malnutrition is a familiar one that has been underlined in multiple global nutrition reports. Despite efforts invested in the form of large-scale programmes of Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), the problem has seeped to the extent that requires addressing it from the grassroots level. Understanding this, India launched several flagship programmes, such as the Prime Minister's Overarching Scheme for Holistic Nutrition (POSHAN) Abhiyaan, to rope local bodies to address nutrition and health concerns.

At such challenging times, a woman sarpanch from Odisha proudly continues to cultivate vegetables on her land and identifies herself as a farmer who turned into a representative of the village. By growing vegetables for consumption, not only is she being self-reliant but has also become a much-needed-changemaker in her village.

Sowing The Path For The Rest

As a sarpanch, Parvati Mallick plays a pivotal role as the decision-maker on the village-level constitutional body. The measures and decisions they adopt hold immense value in terms of guiding and representing the village residents. While many sarpanch's across the country invest in large-scale developmental projects, Parvati, from the Kandhamal district, has conveyed a very important message through a simple act.

Even after having become the sarpanch of Ratanga gram panchayat thrice in 2007, 2017, and 2022, Parvati continues holding up to her identity as a farmer. While she dedicatedly conducts official work within the gram panchayat, she also sets the time for her agricultural activities and has been successfully cultivating lands in her native Kutibari village.

Aspires To Excel Further With Government's Support

A report by the New Indian Express quoted her saying that her husband Rajanikanta, who was also a sarpanch from 2002-2007, had inspired her to start farming. She has now been growing a variety of fruits in nearby Nayagarh, Boudh, Ganjam, and Sonepur districts and believes that she could excel further in the fields if there were aid and help from the government.

Her efforts in farming continue to be appreciated on a state level. Many also believe that such humble practices and sources of income could potentially reduce the possibility of corruption among those in power.

Also Read: POSHAN Abhiyaan's 5th Edition Ropes In Panchayat And Local Bodies To Spread Awareness On Nutrition