Lok Sabha Question No. 4383 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-03-23
Subject: Facilities to Panchayats in Gujarat
Ministry: PANCHAYATI RAJ
Asked by: Rajeshbhai Naranbhai Chudasama

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF PANCHAYATI RAJ

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4383

ANSWERED ON 23.03.2021

## FACILITIES TO PANCHAYATS IN GUJARAT

## 4383. SHRI RAJESHBHAI CHUDASAMA:

Will the Minister of PANCHAYATI RAJ be pleased to state:

- (a)    the details of facilities provided by Government to Panchayats in the State of Gujarat;
- (b)     the extent to which the objectives of Panchayats have been achieved, area-wise, during the last three years and the current year;
- (c)    whether the Government has reviewed the basic facilities provided to Panchayats in order  to  improve  the  standard  of  people  living  in  remote  villages  of  the  State  of Gujarat, if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF PANCHAYATI RAJ (SHRI NARENDRA SINGH TOMAR)

(a)  & (b) Panchayat, being 'Local Government', is a State subject and part of State list of Seventh Schedule of Constitution of India. Mandate for setting up of Panchayats is provided by Article 243 in Part IX of the Constitution of India. Accordingly, the Panchayats are setup and  operated  through  the  respective  State  Panchayati  Raj  Acts.  Providing  the  necessary facilities  to  Panchayati  Raj  Institutions  (PRI)  is  the  responsibility  of  the  States.   As  per information  available,  computer,  printer,  scanner,  web  camera,  fire  extinguisher,  Solar  RO system etc.  are provided by the State to the Gram Panchayats.

The  Fourteenth  Finance  Commission  (FFC)  for  the  award  period  2015-20  allocated  Rs. 2,00,292.20 crore to Gram Panchayats, amounting to an assistance of Rs. 488 per capita per annum  at  an  aggregate  level  to  the  Gram  Panchayats  constituted  under  Part  IX  of  the Constitution  to  26  States  including  Gujarat.  The  Grants  were  meant  for  delivering  basic services, namely, water supply, sanitation, sewerage, solid waste management, storm water drainage,  maintenance  of  community  assets,  roads,  footpath,  street  lighting,  burial  and cremation grounds etc and any other basic services entrusted under State Legislations etc.

Under Fifteenth Finance Commission (XVFC) interim award period 2020-21, grants to the tune of Rs. 60,750 crores have been recommended by the Commission for all tiers of the Rural Local Bodies (RLBs) in 28 States including Gujarat. 50% of the allocation is Basic (Untied) Grants to be used by the local bodies for location-specific felt needs, except for salary or other establishment expenditure. Rest 50% allocation is Tied Grants to be used for the basic services of  (a)  sanitation  and  maintenance  of  open  -defection  free  (ODF)  status  and  (b)  supply  of drinking water, rain water harvesting and water recycling.

Further, XVFC has allocated grants amounting to the tune of Rs. 2,36,805 crore in 28 States including  Gujarat  for  RLBs  for  the  five  year  period  2021-22  to  2025-26.  40%  of  the recommended grant will be Basic Grants to be used by RLBs for felt needs under the twenty nine subjects enshrined in the Eleventh Schedule of the Constitution. Remaining 60% as Tied Grants is to be used for the basic services of (a) sanitation and maintenance of ODF status, and this should include management and treatment of household waste, and human excreta and faecal sludge management in particular and (b) supply of drinking water, rainwater harvesting and water recycling.

Status  of  allocation  and  release  of  Finance  Commission  Grant  to  Gujarat  for  providing aforesaid basic services in Rural Local Bodies during the last three years and the current year is given in the table below.

(Rs. in crore)

| 2017-18    | 2017-18   | 2018-19    | 2018-19   | 2019-20    | 2019-20   | 2020-21    | 2020-21   |
|------------|-----------|------------|-----------|------------|-----------|------------|-----------|
| Allocation | Release   | Allocation | Release   | Allocation | Release   | Allocation | Release   |
| 1683.08    | 1683.08   | 1942.96    | 1725.36   | 2616.26    | 2331.33   | 3195.00    | 2396.25   |

(c):  MoPR  reviews  the  performance  of  Panchayati  Raj  Institutions  (PRIs)  throughout  the country from time to time through studies, review meetings, field visits, video conferencing, Information Technology applications, Common Review Missions (CRMs) etc. Assets created for Basic Services by the Panchayats using Finance Commission Funds are to be geotagged in the  eGramSwaraj  portal.  In  the  State  of  Gujarat  74122  number  of  assets  created  out  of Fourteenth and Fifteenth Finance Commission Grants have been so far geotagged, as per data available on eGramSwaraj Portal.

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