Lok Sabha Question No. 946 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-02-08
Subject: Digitisation of Panchayats
Ministry: PANCHAYATI RAJ
Asked by: Aparupa  Poddar, Heena Vijaykumar Gavit, Sujay Radhakrishna Vikhepatil, Shrikant Eknath Shinde, Krishna Pal Singh Yadav, Rajendra Dhedya  Gavit, Unmesh Bhaiyyasaheb Patil

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF PANCHAYATI RAJ

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 946

ANSWERED ON 08.02.2022

## DIGITISATION OF PANCHAYATS

## 946.  SHRIMATI APARUPA PODDAR:

DR. HEENA GAVIT:

DR. SUJAY RADHAKRISHNA VIKHE PATIL:

DR. SHRIKANT EKNATH SHINDE:

DR. KRISHNA PAL SINGH YADAV:

SHRI RAJENDRA DHEDYA GAVIT:

SHRI UNMESH BHAIYYASAHEB PATIL:

Will the Minister of PANCHAYATI RAJ be pleased to state:

- (a) the details of the appointment of differently abled persons to various posts in Panchayati Raj in different States and UT's particularly in the States of Maharashtra, West Bengal and Madhya Pradesh;
- (b) whether the Government is able to achieve its proposal to fully digitalize the panchayats in the country;
- (c) if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether the Government has requested the States to ensure necessary infrastructure for the purpose;
- (e) if so, the details thereof and response of the States thereto, State-wise; and
- (f) the time by which all the panchayats are likely to be digitalised across the country?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR PANCHAYATI RAJ (SHRI KAPIL MORESHWAR PATIL)

- (a) 'Panchayat' being 'Local Government', is a State subject and part of Seventh Schedule of the Constitution. Accordingly, matter related to Panchayats including appointment of person/ differently abled persons to various Posts in the Panchayati Raj Institutions are the concern of respective State Government. Details in this regard are not maintained centrally.
- (b) & (c) The Government has been implementing eGramSwaraj under e-Panchayat Mission Mode Project, as a part of Digital India Program, in the country to revamp the functioning of Panchayats. eGramSwaraj  addresses  various  aspects  of  Panchayat  functioning  viz.  planning,  accounting,

budgeting including online payments through eGramSwaraj-Public Finance Management System (PFMS)  Interface  for  services  delivered.  As  on  date,  2.55  lakh  Gram  Panchayat,  5390  Block Panchayat  and  481  Zilla  Panchayat  have  prepared  and  uploaded  their  Development  Plans  on eGramSwaraj Application for FY 2021-22. Further, 2.38 lakh GPs have adopted eGramSwaraj for the purpose of accounting in the current year 2021-22 out of which 2.19 lakh GPs have on boarded eGramSwaraj-PFMS Interface for carrying out online transactions. Also, 1.81 lakh GPs have done online payments worth cumulative of Rs. 72,554 crores (including all the onboarded schemes) through eGramSwaraj- PFMS Interface.

Further,  BharatNet  project  is  being  implemented  in  a  phased  manner  by  Department  of Telecommunications to provide broadband connectivity to all the Gram Panchayats and equivalent in the country. As on 17.01.2022, total 1,70,136 GPs have been made Service Ready under the BharatNet project in the country. The scope of BharatNet on 30.06.2021 has been extended upto all inhabited villages beyond GPs in the country.

(d)  and (e) 'Panchayat' being the State subject and providing basic infrastructure at the Gram Panchayat level is primarily being the responsibility of the States. However, Ministry under the ePanchayats component of the Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan has been providing need based support  to  States  for  strengthening  of  Panchayati  Raj  Institutions  (PRIs)  by  providing  eGovernance Resource Groups (e-State Project Monitoring Unit and e-District Project Monitoring Unit) and support for computers and peripherals on limited scale.

(f) The  targeted  date  for  the  completion  of  the  BharatNet  project  to  provide  broadband connectivity to all the Gram Panchayats and equivalent in the country is August 2023.

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