ISGP to be strengthened across all panchayats in West Bengal

Following the success of its experiment in 1000 gram panchayats, a World Bank project on institutional strengthening of Gram Panchayats (ISGP) in West Bengal will be extended across all panchayats in the state.
"In the second phase of ISGP, work will happen in all Gram Panchayats of the state," state panchayat and rural development minister Subrata Mukherjee said today.
For the next five years, the second phase of the project will cover all the 3,342 gram panchayats spread across 19 districts of the state.
The tentative budget for the phase II is Rs 1,783 crore out of which World Bank assistance will be around Rs 1,972 crore while the rest of Rs 411 crore will be contributed by the state government, officials said.

The minister said so far money from the Finance Commission used to go to the Zilla Parishads but from the 14th Commission onwards, funds will reach the gram panchayats directly which will also have freedom to use it according to their needs.
The first phase of ISGP which began in 2010 in 1000 panchayats will formally close at the end of this month.

"When we started the project it was inspired by experiences in Africa and Bangladesh but now when we are ending it this project has become a model for others," said Soma Ghosh Moulik from World Bank.
She said this project has shown how local governments can become successful in delivery of public services by a performance-based mechanism and increase revenue and tax collection.

West Bengal is the only state where accounting audit of local bodies was done by CAG, she said.