Lok Sabha Question No. 421 (STARRED), answered on 2025-04-01
Subject: Sanction of Gram Panchayat Buildings
Ministry: PANCHAYATI RAJ
Asked by: Shri Bajrang Manohar Sonwane, Shri Praveen Patel

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF PANCHAYATI RAJ

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. *421

ANSWERED ON 01/04/2025

## SANCTION OF GRAM PANCHAYAT BUILDINGS

## *421. SHRI BAJRANG MANOHAR SONWANE: SHRI PRAVEEN PATEL:

Will the Minister of PANCHAYATI RAJ be pleased to state:

- (a) the criteria and guidelines followed for sanctioning Gram Panchayat Bhawans;

(b) the number of Gram Panchayat Bhawans/buildings sanctioned by the Government duringFinancial Year 2024-25 till February 2025, including Jalgaon, Phulpur, Shahdol and Balaghat Parliamentary Constituencies of Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh respectively along with timeline for completion of the Gram Panchayat Bhawans/Buildings, State and district-wise;

(c) the details of percentage of Gram Panchayat offices/Bhawans/Buildings that have been computerized as on February 2025 and the steps taken for computerization of Gram Panchayat offices/Bhawans/Buildings during the said period, State and district-wise particularly in Bhiwani-Mahendergarh Parliamentary constituency and aspirational district of Sirohi in Rajasthan and tribal areas;

(d) the number of Gram-Panchayats covered under the Special Gram Sabha cumOrientation Programme and the details of its impact on rural development, particularly in Uttar Pradesh and Sidhi Parliamentary Constituency in Madhya Pradesh along with all the Gram Panchayats of Udaipur Parliamentary Constituency, State/district-wise;

(e) the main subjects on which Panchayati Raj Representatives have been trained during such training programme and the manner in which it has improved the administrative efficiency atthe village level along with the details of areas focused upon in the said training programmes;

(f) the role played by the young fellows and elected representatives associated with Panchayati Raj in this initiative and the contribution there of in making PRRs a success; and

(g) the details of new initiatives for Digital Panchayat, e-Governance and enhancing transparency along with new schemes to strengthen self-governance in rural areas and enhance financial independence of Panchayats?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF PANCHAYATI RAJ

## (SHRI RAJIV RANJAN SINGH ALIAS LALAN SINGH)

(a) to (g) : A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

## STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) to (g) OF THE LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. *421 FOR ANSWER ON 01.04.2025 REGARDING SANCTION OF GRAM PANCHAYAT BUILDINGS

(a) to (c) ' Panchayat ' being ' local government ' is a state subject and part of state list of Seventh Schedule of Constitution of India. Hence, providing basic infrastructural facilities such as Gram Panchayat building, computer etc; are primarily the responsibility of the State. However, Ministry is implementing the Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Revamped Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (RGSA) for strengthening Panchayati Raj institutions (PRIs) to imparting training to all the Elected Representatives (ERs) and other stakeholders to develop their governance capabilities for leadership roles to enable the Gram Panchayats to function effectively.

Under the scheme, Ministry also supplements the efforts of all States/UTs towards supporting the functioning of Gram Panchayats by providing Panchayat Bhawans, with special focus on North Eastern/Hilly States etc. The scheme is demand driven in nature and sanction of Panchayat Bhawans depend on Panchayat Bhawans demanded and submitted by the respective State/UTs in their Annual Action Plan and as approved by Central Empowered Committee (CEC) of RGSA.

During the financial year 2024-25, a total of 7,730 Panchayat Bhawans have been approved for construction under the scheme. This includes 4,429 Panchayat Bhawans sanctioned under the Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (RGSA) and an additional 3,301 Panchayat Bhawans approved as part of a special initiative to strengthen infrastructure in Gram Panchayats with a population of 3,000 or more that currently lack a Panchayat Bhawan. To ensure balanced distribution, a cap of 500 Panchayat Bhawans per State/UT has been set under this initiative.

Details of Panchayat Bhawan approved under RGSA during 2024-25 including the States of Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh are at Annexure-I . Further, details of construction of Panchayat Bhawans allocated by the concerned States to the districts of Jalgaon, Phulpur, Shahdol and Balaghat are at Annexure-II .

During the Financial Year 2024-25, 15492 computers have been approved under the scheme. Further, Ministry has also taken initiative to saturate the requirement of computers to the Panchayats having own building and additionally sanctioned 22164 computer for the Panchayat. In total, 37,656 procurement of computer have been approved during the financial year 2024-25 under the scheme. As per information available, out of 2,68,974 Gram Panchayat, 2,13,366 Gram Panchayats have computers i.e 79.3% of Panchayats have computers. In the Bhiwani-Mahendergarh Parliamentary constituency, out of 805 Gram Panchayats, 145 Gram Panchayats have computers, while in Sirohi district in Rajasthan all 170 Gram Panchayats are equipped with computers.

(d) & (e) The Special Gram Sabha cum-Orientation Programmes are organised with a clear focus on specific initiatives, schemes, or projects of the Government. These programmes serve as platforms for mass mobilization of citizens, elected representatives (ERs), and Panchayati Raj (PR) officials, with the objective of raising awareness and disseminating key information about the relevant scheme, initiative, or project. Through these events, efforts are made to enhance understanding at the grassroots level about the features, benefits, and processes involved, thereby promoting participatory and informed local governance. Details

of Special Gram Sabha cum-Orientation Programmes were organised on different occasion are as under:

(i ) Special Gram Sabha cum-orientation programme organized on 2 nd October, 2024. The main subjects are:

-  Gram Panchayat Development Plan (GPDP),
-  Localisation of Sustainable Development Goals (LSDGs),
-  Sankalp taken by Gram Panchayats for the focused planning, etc.
-  Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam.

(ii) Special Gram Sabha cum-orientation programme organized during 15-26 November, 2024 on Janjatiya Gaurav Divas. The main subjects are:

-  Provisions of the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act (PESA) and
-  Forest Right Act (FRA).

(iii) Special Gram Sabha cum-orientation programme organized on 18 th January, 2025 on SVAMITVA.

(iv) On 8 th March, 2025 on the occasion of International Women ' s Day Special Gram Sabha organized in identified Gram Panchayats to developed as Women Friendly Gram Panchayats.

Further, under revamped scheme of RGSA, Ministry provides support for capacity building and training of elected representatives, functionaries and other stakeholders of Panchayats in different categories viz. basic orientation and refresher training, thematic training, specialized training, panchayat development plan training, etc. Apart from different training, Ministry also supports for exposure visits, development of training modules and materials, etc. In addition, a new initiative has been taken for capacity building and training of elected representatives and functionaries of Panchayats through institutes of excellence viz. IIMs/IITs under Leadership/Management Development Program (MDP).

The State-wise details of the special Gram Sabha cum-Orientation Programmes organised and captured through online platform is at Annexure-III . Details of special Gram Sabha cum-Orientation Programmes in Sidhi & Udaipur Constituency are attached as Annexure-IV.

(f) Young Fellows are engaged under the Ministry ' s initiatives in select clusters of Gram Panchayats across the country. While organizing Special Gram Sabha cum-Orientation Programmes, if a selected Gram Panchayat falls within a cluster assigned to a Young Fellow, that Young Fellow is designated as the Nodal Officer-cum-Coordinator for that Panchayat ' s Special Gram Sabha.

In this capacity, the Young Fellows play a crucial facilitative and coordination role. Their responsibilities include:

- i) Assisting in the overall planning and execution of the programme at the Gram Panchayat level

- ii) Coordinating logistical arrangements, including identification of venues and mobilization of participants
- iii) Ensuring the availability of IEC materials such as posters, banners, and flip charts for orientation
- iv) Supporting elected representatives and Panchayat functionaries in organizing the event
- v) Uploading programme-related data and reports on the Ministry's online platform

Additionally, in collaboration with Elected Representatives, Young Fellows help ensure effective community participation, structured conduct of the Gram Sabha, and accurate documentation of discussions and outcomes. Their active involvement has contributed significantly to improving the quality and outreach of Special Gram Sabha cum-Orientation Programmes and promoting participatory rural governance.

(g) Under the Mission Mode Project (MMP) of revamped scheme of Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (RGSA) the Digital India Programme supported to enhance the eGovernance capabilities of Panchayats, ensuring better service delivery, transparency, accountability, and effectiveness in Panchayat governance. This is achieved through initiatives like eGramSwaraj, which enables Panchayats to prepare and upload their Annual Panchayat Development Plans (GPDPs) online, and integration with the Public Financial Management System (PFMS) and Government e-Marketplace (GeM) for streamlined financial transactions and transparent procurement.

The e-GramSwaraj is highly beneficial in monitoring the work done in the panchayats by enhancing transparency and accountability through real-time tracking of developmental activities and financial expenditures. It simplifies work-based accounting, integrates with the Public Financial Management System (PFMS) for accurate financial reporting, and allows comprehensive monitoring of projects, including geo-tagging of assets.

Further, applications developed by the Ministry like Meri Panchayat app to promotes transparency by providing public access to key information on Panchayat activities, including development plans, progress of works, existing bank accounts, and available funds. This helps strengthen accountability and encourages informed citizen participation in local governance. Similarly, Panchayat NIRNAY is an online application aims at bringing transparency and better management in conduct of Gram Sabhas by Panchayats.

An application of 'AuditOnline' has been developed for online audits of Panchayat accounts and their financial management. AuditOnline for transparent auditing of Central Finance Commission funds utilization to strengthen financial management of Panchayats was launched in April 2020.

***

## ANNEXURE-I

## Annexure refer to in reply to Part (a) to (c) of the Lok Sabha Starred Question No. *421 to be answered on 01/04/2025

## State/UT-wise Construction of Gram Panchayat Bhawan approved under Revamped RGSAin 2024-25

| Sl. No   | States/UTs                                | Construction of PB (New)   | Construction of PB (Carry Over)   | Total   |
|----------|-------------------------------------------|----------------------------|-----------------------------------|---------|
| 1        | Andhra Pradesh                            | 617                        | 0                                 | 617     |
| 2        | Arunachal Pradesh                         | 261                        | 400                               | 661     |
| 3        | Assam                                     | 178                        | 171                               | 349     |
| 4        | Bihar                                     | 0                          | 136                               | 136     |
| 5        | Chhattisgarh                              | 0                          | 210                               | 210     |
| 6        | Goa                                       | 0                          | 0                                 | 0       |
| 7        | Gujarat                                   | 412                        | 0                                 | 412     |
| 8        | Haryana                                   | 509                        | 0                                 | 509     |
| 9        | Himachal Pradesh                          | 33                         | 86                                | 119     |
| 10       | Jammu and Kashmir                         | 500                        | 470                               | 970     |
| 11       | Jharkhand                                 | 0                          | 0                                 | 0       |
| 12       | Karnataka                                 | 258                        | 0                                 | 258     |
| 13       | Kerala                                    | 0                          | 0                                 | 0       |
| 14       | Madhya Pradesh                            | 50                         | 0                                 | 50      |
| 15       | Maharashtra                               | 532                        | 429                               | 961     |
| 16       | Manipur                                   | 16                         | 11                                | 27      |
| 17       | Meghalaya                                 | 0                          | 24                                | 24      |
| 18       | Mizoram                                   | 22                         | 313                               | 335     |
| 19       | Nagaland                                  | 49                         | 134                               | 183     |
| 20       | Odisha                                    | 0                          | 0                                 | 0       |
| 21       | Punjab                                    | 500                        | 0                                 | 500     |
| 22       | Rajasthan                                 | 0                          | 10                                | 10      |
| 23       | Sikkim                                    | 2                          | 17                                | 19      |
| 24       | Tamil Nadu                                | 146                        | 0                                 | 146     |
| 25       | Telangana                                 | 181                        | 105                               | 286     |
| 26       | Tripura                                   | 1                          | 13                                | 14      |
| 27       | Uttar Pradesh                             | 100                        | 26                                | 126     |
| 28       | Uttarakhand                               | 612                        | 72                                | 684     |
| 29       | West Bengal                               | 82                         | 35                                | 117     |
|          | Union Territories                         |                            |                                   |         |
| 30       | Andaman &Nicobar Island                   | 0                          | 0                                 | 0       |
| 31       | The Dadara Nagar Haveli and Daman And Diu | 4                          | 0                                 | 4       |
| 32       | Laksadweep                                | 0                          | 0                                 | 0       |
| 33       | Ladakh                                    | 3                          | 0                                 | 3       |
| 34       | Puducherry                                | 0                          | 0                                 | 0       |
| Total    | Total                                     | 5068                       | 2662                              | 7730    |

## Annexure-II

## Annexure refer to in reply to Part (a) to (c) of the Lok Sabha Starred Question No. *421 to be answered on 01/04/2025

## Details of Panchayat Bhawans approved

|   Sl. No. | Constituency        | Panchayat Bhawan approved in 2024-25   |
|-----------|---------------------|----------------------------------------|
|         1 | Phulpur (Prayagraj) | 1                                      |
|         2 | Balaghat            | 40                                     |
|         3 | Shahdol             | 12                                     |
|         4 | Jalgaon             | 4 (approved in 2023-24)                |

## Annexure refer to in reply to Part (d) of the Lok Sabha Starred Question No. *421 to be answered on 01/04/2025

## State/UT-wise details of special Gram Sabha cum-Orientation Programmes

|   Sl. No. | State/UT                                     | 2 nd October, 2024   |   15-26 th November, 2024 |   18 th January, 2025 |   8 th March, 2025 |
|-----------|----------------------------------------------|----------------------|---------------------------|-----------------------|--------------------|
|         1 | Andhra Pradesh                               | 13                   |                       269 |                     0 |                  0 |
|         2 | Assam                                        | 5                    |                       328 |                     0 |                 26 |
|         3 | Arunachal Pradesh                            | 19                   |                         7 |                     0 |                  0 |
|         4 | Andaman &Nicobar                             | 0                    |                         0 |                     0 |                  2 |
|         5 | Bihar                                        | 85                   |                       297 |                     0 |                 38 |
|         6 | Chhattisgarh                                 | 86                   |                      4626 |                   850 |                  0 |
|         7 | Goa                                          | 1                    |                        14 |                     0 |                  0 |
|         8 | The Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu | 2                    |                        26 |                     0 |                  3 |
|         9 | Gujarat                                      | 16                   |                      2388 |                   394 |                 32 |
|        10 | Haryana                                      | 1                    |                         0 |                     0 |                 13 |
|        11 | Himachal Pradesh                             | 11                   |                        87 |                    27 |                 11 |
|        12 | Jammu &Kashmir                               | 0                    |                       215 |                   174 |                 20 |
|        13 | Jharkhand                                    | 103                  |                         0 |                     0 |                  0 |
|        14 | Karnataka                                    | 10                   |                       364 |                     0 |                 31 |
|        15 | Kerala                                       | 2                    |                        40 |                     0 |                 14 |
|        16 | Ladakh                                       | 0                    |                        98 |                    22 |                  2 |
|        17 | Madhya Pradesh                               | 71                   |                      6807 |                  8143 |                 47 |
|        18 | Maharashtra                                  | 49*                  |                         0 |                  1054 |                 32 |
|        19 | Manipur                                      | 2                    |                       143 |                     0 |                  6 |
|        20 | Meghalaya                                    | 1                    |                       994 |                     0 |                 12 |
|        21 | Mizoram                                      | 1                    |                       332 |                     4 |                 10 |
|        22 | Nagaland                                     | 2                    |                       507 |                     0 |                 11 |

| 23    | Odisha        | 69   | 2278   | 3      |   3 |
|-------|---------------|------|--------|--------|-----|
| 24    | Punjab        | 0    | 0      | 117    |  18 |
| 25    | Rajasthan     | 28   | 2090   | 1000   |  28 |
| 26    | Tamil Nadu    | 11   | 125    | 0      |  32 |
| 27    | Telangana     | 12   | 440    | 0      |  22 |
| 28    | Sikkim        | 22   | 5      | 0      |   0 |
| 29    | Tripura       | 5    | 297    | 0      |   8 |
| 30    | Uttar Pradesh | 58*  | 554*   | 21626* |  74 |
| 31    | Uttarakhand   | 10   | 109    | 0      |  10 |
| 32    | West Bengal   | 4    | 572    | 0      |  20 |
| Total | Total         | 699  | 24012  | 33414  | 525 |

## Annexure refer to in reply to Part (d) of the Lok Sabha Starred Question No. *421 to be answered on 01/04/2025

## Details of special Gram Sabha cum-Orientation Programmes in Sidhi & Udaipur Parliamentary Constituency

| Special Gram Sabha dates   |   Sidhi Parliamentary Constituency |   Udaipur Parliamentary Constituency |
|----------------------------|------------------------------------|--------------------------------------|
| 2 nd October, 2024         |                                  2 |                                    0 |
| 15-26 November, 2024       |                                442 |                                  334 |
| 18 th January, 2025        |                                130 |                                   27 |
| 8 th March, 2025           |                                  2 |                                    0 |
| Total                      |                                576 |                                  361 |