Panchayats have a pivotal role to play in integrated rural development by focusing on the 17 SDGs which are subsumed under nine themes to ensure poverty-free, clean, healthy, child-friendly, and socially secured well-governed villages. Ministry of Panchayati Raj has introduced digital solutions like e-GramSwaraj for planning, budgeting and accounting of Panchayats, inspiring 2.38 lakh Gram Panchayats to adopt e-GramSwaraj. However, all Panchayats also need to be brought onto this platform to meet the digital mission of governance.In recent years, owing to the continuous efforts by the government, Panchayats have emerged as leaders, planners and policymakers at the grass-root level. This has enabled them to realize their national as well as global targets in the true spirit of the transition from ‘Local to Global’. It is also heartening to note here that India has achieved Open Defecation Free (ODF) status in 2019, 11 years ahead of its actual timeline in 2030. Now Panchayats need to achieve complete sanitation and adopt waste management practices, converting waste to wealth. This will provide new confidence in rural economy. The government seems to be on target to provide clean drinking water to each household in the country by 2024, which would be a new milestone for the country as vast as India.
It is heartening that the increase in fund allocation to the rural local bodies from Rs.100 per capita per annum in the 10th Finance Commission has been raised to Rs.674 per capita per annum in the 15th Finance Commission, thanks to the growing focus of the present dispensation on the rural populace. Now Central Finance Commission funds are directly transferred to the bank accounts of Panchayats, leaving little or no scope for any diversion, dilution and deviation in the process. Similarly, now efforts are also being made to ensure that every grant meant for people should directly go to the eligible beneficiaries, and improve education, employment, water & other situations.
To further sensitize all stake holders in the process to give a boost to an all round development of the villages, the Ministry of Panchayati Raj is celebrating its iconic week under Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav. Governance Conference, ‘Sushasan – Sugamta se Sampanta’ was also organized today (12th April). Through such programmes, the government is ensuring that the Panchayati Raj institutions become the real instruments to carry out the programmes of rural development. In this endeavour, Governance is playing a significant role in making Panchayati Raj Institutions functional and efficient. With the rapid expansion of the economy and the growing awareness and assertion of rights by the populace, the need and demand for good governance has also increased in recent years. Today’s governance style is becoming more citizen-oriented, citizen-centric, citizen-friendly, ensuring dedication, responsiveness and accountability of both official and Elected Representatives, towards rural development.
‘Ram Rajya is incomplete without Gram Rajya’ , the significance of Mahatma Gandhi’s famous statement is being well-realised today with burgeoning efforts being taken by the government to improve governance at rural level with focus on providing villages (approx 6.5 lakh) with connectivity, education, employment opportunity and entertainment. With the Centre and State Governments together implementing various development programmes, good governance is critical not only for ensuring social inclusion in the Government Programmes, but also for establishing accountability. And Panchayati Raj institutions have a definite mandate for realization of goal towards improving the quality of life in rural areas.
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