Better Information-sharing at the Level of Villages
Citizens in six local communities of Backa Topola have formed Information Points and drafting of Action Plans is an ongoing process
Municipality Backa Topola has 38,000 citizens. In the town of Backa Topola live 16,000 citizens, while the remaining population live in 23 settlements. Along with significant geographic dispersion, the municipality is characterized by agricultural production, being the main economic activity.
In order to facilitate the information flow, enable development of strategic papers of rural communities, trigger off citizens aimed at implementation of strategic papers and therefore of the Poverty Reduction Strategy, a project „Cooperation of NGO and public sectors in promoting and advocating for implementation of the Poverty Reduction Strategy at the local level through implementation of local strategic papers” has been initiated. The Project is being implemented through the PRS Implementation – local initiatives.
The Project holder is the Association for Backa Topola community development, while partners are: Municipality, Club of Agricultural Producers, Association of Independent Unions of municipalities of Backa Topola and Mali Idjos and local communities of Pacir, Stara Moravica, Bajsa, Krivaja, Novo Orahovo and Gunaros.
–We wanted to ensure equal opportunities to all citizens. We have helped rural local communities to develop their action plans and in six local communities we organized information points. Action plans, in accordance with municipal and state plans, will facilitate the implementation – stated Predrag Stojanovic, coordinator for strategic plans development of the Association for development of Backa Topola municipality.
The Project brings information to villages that were available previously only in urban areas. The citizens are strengthened to decide on their path of development. The network of information points has provided a direct access to information on public competitions, resources and other benefits of the line ministries, secretariats of the autonomous province, foreign donors. Local coordinators are providing various services to the citizens.
Hajnalka Sipos, secretary of the local community Novo Orahovo and Arnold Varga, coordinator of the Information Point |
The local communities applied with 40 projects and 50 percent of them have been successfully implemented.
In Novo Orahovo, with 2,100 inhabitants, strengthened by a presence of the Information Point officer, there is an ongoing activity of development of new spatial plan.
– The current plan, from 70s, is obsolete. Our intention is to improve living conditions in the village, attract investors, become more efficient in applying for donors' funds – explained Hajnalka Sipos, the secretary of the local community Novo Orahovo. Arnold Varga, coordinator, says that a new office is opened in the village. – Every day there are two or three citizens coming to the office. There is an ongoing process of registration of farms, so we support our elderly citizens to fill in forms. – On the bulletin board we have placed information regarding the competition of a Hungarian foundation refinancing loans for purchase of agricultural machineries.
Through an open competition, funds for the fight against ragweed were raised. At the competition by the Secretariat for Regulations, Administration and National Minorities of the Autonomous Province the amount of 80,000 RSD was received to place street name plates in three languages.
There is an ongoing activity of rehabilitation of changing rooms of sport facilities. There is a plan to launch spa tourism, because in the district there is a source of thermal water.
More information on the PRS – Local Initiatives program may be found on the internet presentation
http://www.prsp.sr.gov.yu/projekat/konkurs.jsp 
Partners in PRS Implementation 
