Revamping Gram Panchayat Facilities: Ministry of Panchayati Raj Introduces New Initiatives

As per information available from the Local Government Directory, there are 2.68 lakh Gram Panchayats/Rural Local Bodies and 6.65 lakh Villages in the country. As per information available in the Ministry, out of the total 2.68 lakh village panchayats, only 35,525 do not have their own panchayat buildings.

Panchayat being a State subject, primary responsibility of providing infrastructure for Panchayats, including the building, electricity, water and modern facilities, lies with the States. However, under the revamped Rashtriya Gram SwarajAbhiyan (RGSA) scheme Ministry supplements the efforts of States/UTs by providing some of the infrastructure, including Panchayat Bhawans, to Gram Panchayats, on a limited scale, with special focus on North Eastern States. Under the scheme, since 2022-23, approximately 6664 GP Bhawans have been approved for construction.

Further, the funds received by the Panchayats under Untied Grants of the Fifteenth Finance Commission (XV FC), State Grants & Own Source Revenue can also be utilized for fulfilling the infrastructure requirements as per felt need.