Panchayats

Goa to launch portals for village panchayat services from August 1

In a sweeping overhaul, almost all village panchayat services in Goa were being shifted online in a phased manner, bringing grassroots governance into the digital age, a minister has informed in the state assembly. The shift to digital platforms will ensure people no longer have to physically visit panchayat offices for basic services, Goa Panchayat Minister Mauvin Godinho said in the House late Monday evening during the ongoing monsoon session of the state assembly. Godinho also said an Artificial Intelligence-based facial recognition attendance system across all village panchayats will be launched from August 1. "From income certificates to house repair permissions, nine major services are already available online. We are working towards 100 per cent digitisation of all panchayat services," he said. There are 186 village panchayats across both the North Goa and South Goa districts. Godinho said services like the issuance of residence, income and character certificates, NOCs for

Surprised that PESA implementation not completed yet: Parliamentary panel

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Rural Development and Panchayati Raj on Monday said it is surprised to note that even after almost 30 years of passing the PESA Act, its implementation has not been completed yet. In an action taken report tabled in Parliament on Monday, the committee, which is headed by Congress MP Saptagiri Sankar Ulaka, said that many states still lack the necessary rules and important laws related to land, forests and minerals, which are not fully aligned with PESA. The committee in its report noted the steps taken by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj for the effective implementation of the provisions of Panchayats (Extension to the Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996, commonly known as the PESA Act. "The committee is surprised to note that even after almost 30 years of passing the PESA Act, its implementation has not been completed yet. Many states still lack the necessary rules and important laws related to land, forests, and minerals which are not fully aligned wit

Himachal govt to set up the emergency response centre in all panchayats

The Himachal Pradesh government on Saturday gave its consent for setting up Panchayat Emergency Response Centre in all panchayats of the state, according to an official statement. In a meeting held here under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, the cabinet gave its consent for Panchayat Emergency Response Centre in each of the 3,645 panchayats of the state to ensure effective response in the event of natural disasters to save human lives and properties. To encourage self-employment and reduce dependence on conventional energy sources, it also approved the provision of interest subsidies for the establishment of solar power projects, the statement issued here said. Under this initiative, a five per cent interest subsidy will be provided for solar projects ranging from 100 KW to 1 MW in tribal areas, while a 4 per cent subsidy will be extended for projects with capacities between 250 KW and 2 MW in non-tribal regions. The cabinet also approved the signing of a

Panchayat Season 4: Check release date, OTT platform, plot, cast and more

Panchayat Season 4 Trailer Out: One of the much-anticipated series, Panchayat season 4, is set to release on June 24. Here's all you need to know

Panchayat season 4: Politics heats up Phulera as Pradhan-ji eyes election

The teaser of Panchayat Season 4 is out! As polls approach, Pradhan Ji, Bhushan & gang gear up for a political showdown in Phulera. Drama, satire & Sachiv Ji return on July 2 on Prime Video

Assam records 70.19% turnout in phase one of panchayat elections 2025

The second phase of the polls will be held on May 7 in the remaining 13 districts, and the counting of votes will take place on May 11

Panchayat poll candidates obligated to disclose info on pending cases: SC

The Supreme Court has upheld a decision of the Himachal Pradesh High Court, which said the candidates contesting panchayat elections were obligated to disclose information about the pending cases against them. A bench of justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh made the remarks while affirming the decision of the Himachal Pradesh High Court to uphold the dismissal of the 'pradhan' (head) of the Pangna village panchayat in Mandi district. The high court on October 16, 2024, held that the concealment of material facts by the petitioner amounted to "corrupt practice" under the provisions of Himachal Pradesh Panchayati Raj Act, 1994, and was another valid ground to declare his election null and void. The top court said, "We fail to find any merit as far as the petitioner's challenge to the impugned order(s) and judgment(s) of the high court are concerned. We say so for the reason that the regulations framed by the State Election Commission have rightly been held by the high court to be

Grassroots governance: Development requires strong panchayats at the core

Panchayats are the closest tier of governance to the people. Unlike top-down models, a panchayat-led approach allows for contextual strategies that take into account multiple local factors

PM Modi likely to visit Bihar on April 24: Union Panchayati Raj Minister

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be in Bihar later this month to attend a function organised on the occasion of 'Panchayati Raj Day', his cabinet colleague Rajiv Ranjan Singh said on Saturday. The JD(U) leader, who holds the Panchayati Raj portfolio, was talking to reporters at the state BJP headquarters, where leaders of the NDA in Bihar attended a meeting to review preparations for the PM's tour of April 24. The meeting was also addressed by Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who flew in for the occasion and interacted via video conference with officials in Madhubani, the north Bihar district that PM Modi is scheduled to visit. "The PM's Madhubani tour on Panchayat Diwas is going to be historic", said Singh, also known as Lalan Singh. Asked whether the visit was being used to send a political message about NDA unity ahead of the upcoming assembly polls, Singh firmly dismissed the suggestion. "Please do not try to run your own agenda. The PM will not be reading fr

Gujarat, Tripura, Telangana shine in Panchayat index ranking, shows data

However, no panchayat across India could make the cut for the 'achiever' rank

Road to decentralisation: Rural local bodies need to be strengthened

Overall, devolution to rural local bodies increased from 39.9 per cent in 2013-14 to 43.9 per cent in 2021-22, said the govt report

Govt to hold workshops on making panchayats women-friendly on March 4-5

The government is set to hold workshops for women representatives from all three tiers of Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs), focused on developing at least one model women-friendly gram panchayat in each district, an official said. Ahead of International Women's Day on March 8, over 1,200 women panchayat leaders will attend the workshops on women-led local governance. The Panchayati Raj Ministry official said the workshops will be held on March 4-5. They are aimed at making PRIs more women-centric and strengthening grassroots democracy. The workshops will focus on the crucial role of women elected representatives (WERs) in rural local governance and discuss the strategic roadmap of the Panchayati Raj Ministry to enhance their leadership and ensure their active participation in decision-making. Outstanding women leaders in panchayats will be felicitated at the workshops. The Ministry of Panchayati Raj has urged states and Union territories to include women officers in the delegati

Karnataka implemented first-of-its-kind experiment with Panchayat Raj: Min

Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge said on Saturday the Department of Rural Development and Panchayat implemented the "Rajiv Gandhi Panchayat Raj Fellowship" programme. In a post on 'X,' Kharge said that the Panchayat Raj experiment is the first of its kind in the country and was announced in the previous budget. "With the aim of strengthening local governance in the backward region of Kalyana Karnataka, an enthusiastic and talented youth community was given the opportunity to work in the Panchayat Raj system," wrote the State Panchayat Raj Minister. He added that this is a great opportunity for graduates interested in the social sector. "Fellows will need to understand the social, geographical, economic, and administrative context of the Kalyana Karnataka region and become active with the district administration," Kharge said. He stated that he attended the progress report presentation meeting with 44 trained fellows. Kharge added that it was rewarding to learn that these enthusi

Panchayati Raj has played key role in empowering women: President Murmu

President Droupadi Murmu on Monday said the Panchayati Raj Institutions, which provide a platform for governance and community development at the grassroots level, have played an important role in the empowerment of women. Addressing an event here, the president advised the women representatives to discharge their responsibilities fearlessly as elected representatives in the panchayats. She said that as a panchayat representative, they have the right to resolve mutual disputes among the villagers. "They should use this right appropriately and try to resolve disputes among the villagers at the panchayat level itself. This will not only save people's resources and time but will also increase mutual harmony," Murmu was quoted as having said in a statement issued by her office. She was addressing a group of Scheduled Tribe women representatives of the Panchayati Raj Institutions, who had called on her at the Rashtrapati Bhavan Cultural Centre here. The group is in Delhi under the ...

Om Birla urges women PRI leaders to adopt AI, innovation for governance

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Monday asked women representatives from Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRI) to embrace artificial intelligence (AI) and innovation in order to make their areas more "people-oriented". Speaking at the 'Panchayat se Parliament 2.0' programme, Birla stressed the importance of technological advancements to drive sustainable development and improve governance at the grassroots level. The event, held at the historic Central Hall of Samvidhan Sadan, was organized by the Parliamentary Research and Training Institute for Democracies (PRIDE) in collaboration with the National Commission for Women and the Ministry of Tribal Affairs. More than 500 women PRI representatives from 22 states and Union territories participated, with the gathering serving as a platform for reaffirming India's commitment to women-led development and grassroots empowerment. In his address, Birla underscored the transformative power of women leadership in strengthening India's democracy, ...

Important to have developed panchayats for developed India: Pradhan

He further emphasized that the strengthening of the Panchayati Raj system in Sambalpur aligns with the larger vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to promote decentralized development

Panchayati Ministry in 2024: Focus on more buildings, internet connectivity

Bridging infrastructure gaps in panchayats, the grassroots democratic bodies pivotal to the implementation of government schemes in villages, remained in focus for the Panchayati Raj Ministry in 2024, with funds being sanctioned for the construction of more than 4,000 Panchayat Bhawans. According to a senior official, the Panchayati Raj Ministry sanctioned funds for the construction of Gram Panchayat (GP) Bhawans in 4,604 locations. Once these buildings are constructed, all GPs having a population of more than 3,000 will have an office of its own. India has over 2.6 lakh GPs, with approximately 65 per cent of its population living in rural areas. Panchayats have been at the forefront of the implementation of sustainable development goals, and ensuring the reach of government programmes to people. The ministry sanctioned 661 Panchayat Bhawans for Arunachal Pradesh, 617 for Andhra Pradesh, 612 for Uttarakhand, 568 for Maharashtra, 500 each for Haryana and Punjab, 412 for Gujarat, 258

Sarpanch murder: Dhananjay, Pankaja should resign, says activist Damania

Social activist Anjali Damania has demanded that Maharashtra ministers Pankaja Munde and Dhananjay Munde resign till a probe is underway into the brutal murder of a village sarpanch in Beed district. Talking to a news channel on Monday, Damania claimed that Munde cousins very well know Walmik Karad, an accused in an extortion case linked to the sarpanch's murder. BJP leader Pankaja Munde is the state environment and climate change minister, while her cousin Dhananjay Munde, a leader of the Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), holds charge of the food, civil supplies and consumer protection department. According to police, Massajog village sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh was abducted and killed on December 9 allegedly for opposing an extortion bid by some individuals who had demanded money from a windmill company in Beed district. Four persons have been arrested so far in connection with the murder. Opposition parties and a BJP MLA have accused Dhananjay Munde of having clos

PM Modi to distribute 5.8 mn Svamitva property cards: All you need to know

Panchayati Raj Secretary Vivek Bharadwaj said 20.19 million property cards have been prepared till now

Removal of women elected representative should not be treated lightly: SC

Removal of an elected public representative should not be treated lightly, especially when it concerns women belonging to rural areas, the Supreme Court has said as it set aside an order for removal of a woman sarpanch in a Maharashtra village. A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan termed the matter as a classic case where the residents of the village could not reconcile with the fact that a woman was elected to the office of the sarpanch. The top court observed that it was a case where villagers were unable to come to terms with the reality that a female sarpanch would make decisions on their behalf and that they would have to abide by her directions. "This scenario gets further exacerbated when we as a country are attempting to realise the progressive goal of gender parity and women empowerment across all spheres, including public offices and most importantly adequate women representative in elected bodies, such instances at the grass-root level cast a heavy shadow on an