Federations of community-based organizations at a higher level may be the best entry point. Experiments such as those conducted by the State Poverty Eradication Commission Kudumbashree in Kerala (http://www.kudumbashree .org/) and the community-managed resource centers organized by the NGO MYRADA (Mysore Resettlement Development Agency) in Karnataka (http:// www.myrada.org/) are interesting examples for the design of such approaches. Agricultural producer companies, an institutional alternative to state-dominated cooperatives introduced through a legal change in the early 2000s, are also an interesting option as user organizations for agricultural extension services. Group-based approaches not only require investment in formation, they also demand farmers’ time, which can be a particular constraint for female farmers. Therefore, alternatives to group-based approaches should be considered. One option that deserves particular attention are Internet kiosks (places in villages that provide public access to computers). An example is the e-choupals (Internet kiosks) run by the Indian Tobacco Company, through which farmers can sell their produce online and access agriculture-related information. Cell phone–based approaches can also be used to provide extension services. They are suitable for providing market-related information or answering farmers’ questions. Such approaches must be tailored to the capacity and extension needs of different groups of farmers, including female farmers and households with marginal land holdings. Water Supply and Sanitation Karnataka has achieved widespread access to safe drinking water. Rural water supply is fully devolved to the gram panchayat level; water and sanitation committees have been introduced in an effort to strengthen the short route of accountability. Drainage, as one aspect of sanitation, however, has remained a challenge. The following sections present recommendations to address the problems identified in the study. Increasing the involvement of women in water and sanitation committees and strengthening their accountability within the panchayati raj system. This project did not aim to conduct an impact evaluation of the water and sanitation committees. The study findings indicate, however, potential challenges regarding the accountability and inclusiveness of these committees, as discussed in chapter 7. Two strategies could be used to address these challenges. First, to ensure the accountability of the water and sanitation committee within the gram panchayat system, the gram panchayat member who represents the village or ward in which the committee is located could be an ex officio member of the committee. The water and sanitation committee may be formally constituted as a subcommittee of the gram panchayat, a strategy already being pursued in Karnataka. Committee members could also be required to report in gram sabha or ward sabha meetings to improve accountability.
IMPLICATIONS FOR POLICY AND RESEARCH
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