Professional Experience:
From January 2018 to present, I have worked as a Project Director for Sampark, an organization that works in the field of Public Interest Advocacy, I lead the Sampark team to promote children’s issues with the Maharashtra Legislators. Under my leadership Sampark has achieved the following goals:
1. Established working relationships with approximately 25 MLAs to raise children’s issues during assembly sessions,
2. Help MLAs to work in their constituencies on these issues
3. Formed citizen’s group in 11 constituencies in the state, to interact with the local MLA and address issues related to women and children, health, education among others
4. A newsletter on developmental topics is sent to all 288 MLAs of Maharashtra periodically.
5. arond 30-50 questons related to HDI re sent to all MLAs ahead of each assembly session, so that it leads to discussion and influence policy formation on developmental issues
6. Analysis of questions tabled during assembly is done to assess the space given for developmental issues there. The report is covered in major newspapers and electonic media.
Major achievements:
1. Due to Sampark's sustained advocacy, on 5th March 2020, the business advisory committee of the assembly, allocated time during the assembly session to discuss issues related to women and children. Working with our partner and other organisations, I led the team to create documents on this topic and had one on one meetings with over 25 MLAs. This led to a 7 and ½ hour discussion in the Vidhan Sabha (lower house of the assembly) and 4 hour discussion Vidhan Parishad (Upper House of the Assembly). As a result, Shakti bill was tabled in 2020 monsoons session of the assembly and was unanimously passed in both houses of the assembly.
2. During Covid pandemic, I was involved in organising a two-day conclave featuring close to 200 NGOs who represented the different regions of Maharashtra. These organisations got an opportunity to present their opinion and analysis on the different sets of problems faced by the state concerning the global pandemic. The prominent issues raised were education, healthcare, migration, employment generation, hunger and safety nets. Ms Neelam Gorhe, Hon. MLC and former Dy Chairperson of the Council presided the conclave. The entire proceedings were witnessed by a wide range of audience on Navi Umed,(Sampark’s social media platform) and thus a discussion at the policy-level reached close to 30,000 people.
As a follow-up to this initiative, on 8th July, a meeting was held with Mr. Sandipan Bhumre, then Minister for Employment Guarantee and Horticulture where we pointed out a few shortcomings in the implementation of MGNREGA, and these recommendations were accepted by the Honourable Minister and official circulars were issued.
Under my supervision, we involved the local MLAs and organised nine interactions with over 700 Sarpanchs from different villages across Maharashtra. The aim as to help them effectively implement the employment guarantee scheme (EGS) and MGNREGA.