Tirupati: Bommasamudram, a small village in Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh, has received national attention after receiving the Deen Dayal Upadhyay Panchayat Sustainable Development Award as the healthiest panchayat in India.
President Draupadi Murmu in a ceremony organized in New Delhi, Sarpanch of Bommasamudram village V. Handed over a prize of Rs 1 crore to Raghunath.
The achievement of Bommasamudram is a testament to the panchayat’s innovative approach to rural health and well-being. Over the years, the panchayat has transformed the state and central government schemes into a model of community-driven development by effectively implementing them. In particular, it has made huge leaps in healthcare access, sanitation and overall public health outcomes.
One of the best initiatives in Bommasamudram village is the distribution of Ayushman Bharat health cards to 100 percent of the people in the village. This has enabled every resident of the village to access healthcare without any financial burden. This has reduced maternal and infant mortality to zero and no cases of dengue in recent years.
The village prioritized child health through full vaccination campaigns, deworming campaigns and regular health check-ups at schools and Anganwadi centres. It combated anemia among teenage girls through regular check-ups and providing them with iron-folic acid supplements. Special care is provided to pregnant and postpartum women, Anganwadi centers provide nutritious meals and conduct breastfeeding awareness sessions to promote maternal and child health.
Bommasamudram Sarpanch V. Raghunath dedicated the award to the collective efforts of the villagers, health workers and local authorities, especially Panchayat Secretary Y Mounika. He said that in the remaining years of his tenure, the challenge is to work harder in the village by starting more welfare schemes.
Access to clean water and sanitation is central to the success of Bommasamudram. The Panchayat has ensured that every household is provided with safe drinking water, the tank is cleaned and chlorinated every 15 days. Awareness campaigns on sanitation, toilet use and disease prevention have promoted healthy lifestyles among residents. Regular fogging, drain cleaning and hand washing drives have reduced the risk of waterborne diseases.
District officials hailed the success of Bommasamudram. District Collector Sumit Kumar called it a “national standard” in rural development. “Bommasamudram’s holistic development model now serves as an inspiration for villages across India, proving that community-driven initiatives can bring about transformative change in rural areas,” he asserted.