Lok Sabha Question No. 377 (STARRED), answered on 2025-08-19
Subject: Infrastructure for Panchayats in Assam
Ministry: PANCHAYATI RAJ
Asked by: Md. Rakibul Hussain

## GOVERNMENTOF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF PANCHAYATI RAJ LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO.377 ANSWERED ON 19.08.2025

## INFRASTRUCTURE FOR PANCHAYATS IN ASSAM

*377 MD. RAKIBUL HUSSAIN:

Will the Minister of PANCHAYATI RAJ be pleased to State:

(a) the details of the steps taken by the Government to improve road, telecommunications and internet infrastructure for Panchayats in Assam;

(b) the manner in which the Government is providing access to modern technology for better governance to the Panchayats; and

(c) whether the Government has allocated any special funds for this initiative, if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF PANCHAYATI RAJ

(SHRI RAJIV RANJAN SINGH ALIAS LALAN SINGH)

(a) to (c ) Astatement is laid on the table of the House

## STATEMENT IN RESPECT OF PART (a) TO (c) OF LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION No.377 ANSWERED ON 19.08.2025

(a) Rural roads, a state subject, are supported under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) to provide all-weather connectivity to eligible unconnected habitations and this comes under the purview of the Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD). As per the information received from MoRD, PMGSY has evolved through PMGSY-II and III for upgradation and consolidation of 1.25 lakh km of key rural routes. As per the information provided by the MoRD, in Assam, till 12.08.2025, 9,269 road works (32,911 km) and 1,466 bridges worth ₹22,349.39 crore have been sanctioned, of which 9,124 works (32,035 km) and 1,423 bridges are completed at an expenditure of ₹22,940 crore.

High-speed internet, data, and mobile services in remote and rural areas are being expanded through targeted projects such as the Comprehensive Telecom Development Plans for the North East and Islands, Left Wing Extremism (LWE) areas, Aspirational Districts, border villages, and the 4G Saturation Scheme. As per the information provided by the Department of Telecommunications, under the ongoing ₹26,316 Cr project to provide 4G in uncovered villages, 21,748 mobile towers (including 931 in Assam) have been commissioned nationwide till June 2025.

Providing internet infrastructure to Gram Panchayats (GPs) is under the Department of Telecommunications, which is implementing BharatNet in phases to connect all GPs and Traditional Local Bodies (TLBs) with high-speed internet. As per the data available on BharatNet Dashboard, as of 12.08.2025, 1,634 of 2,657 GPs/TLBs in Assam are serviceready. The Amended BharatNet Programme, approved on 04.08.2023, aims to upgrade existing networks, cover remaining GPs, and is managed by BSNL. An interface on the eGramSwaraj portal enables Panchayats in service-ready areas to apply for FTTH connections.

(b) The Ministry is implementing the e-Panchayat Mission Mode Project (MMP) under RGSA, which has significantly enhanced transparency, efficiency, and governance at the grassroots level. The eGramSwaraj application, developed as part of the e-Panchayat MMP, has facilitated digital planning, accounting, monitoring, and online payments at the Panchayat level. The integration of eGramSwaraj with the Public Financial Management System (PFMS) enables real-time payments to vendors and service providers, ensuring seamless fund flow and reducing delays.

In FY 2024-25, over 2.60 lakh Panchayati Raj institutions (PRIs) across the country onboarded on eGramSwaraj-PFMS interface. Over 2.51 lakh PRIs transferred more than ₹61,000 crore through the eGramSwaraj-PFMS interface. The progress made by States/UTs, under eGramSwaraj for the XV Finance Commission during the year 2024-25 is given at Annexure-I.

To bring transparency to Panchayat procurement, the Ministry has integrated eGramSwaraj with the Government e-Marketplace (GeM). This integration allows Panchayats to procure goods and services through GeM via the eGramSwaraj platform, promoting the 'Vocal for Local' initiative. Other applications developed by the Ministry like Meri Panchayat has endeavored to bring transparency in Panchayat Governance by making

information on planning, activities and progress of works in Panchayat accessible to public. Similarly, Panchayat NIRNAY is an online application which aims to bring transparency and better management in conduct of Gram Sabhas by Panchayats.

Further, to strengthen the financial management of Panchayats, the 'AuditOnline' application has been developed for conducting online audits of Panchayat accounts pertaining to the utilization of Central Finance Commission funds. For audit year 2023-24, 2.51 lakh Audit Plans have been created and 2.44 lakh Audit Report have been generated by PRIs.

(c) Under e-Panchayat Mission Mode Project funds are being provided to National Informatics Center Services Inc. (NICSI) for central level support for maintenance of ePanchayat applications. The year wise annual expenditure on e-Panchayat Mission Mode Project is as under.

## Details of annual expenditure on E-Panchayat Mission Mode Project

(Rs. in Crore)

| Financial Year   | Actual Expenditure      |
|------------------|-------------------------|
| 2020-21          | 17.79                   |
| 2021-22          | 11.71                   |
| 2022-23          | 15                      |
| 2023-24          | 16.03                   |
| 2024-25          | 13.47                   |
| 2025-26          | 5.00 (As on 12.08.2025) |

Additionally, the Ministry is implementing Centrally Sponsored Scheme of revamped Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (RGSA) w.e.f. financial year 2022-23 with the main objective for capacitating Panchayati Raj institutions (PRIs) through imparting training to Elected Representatives (ERs) and other stakeholders to develop their governance capabilities for leadership roles to enable the Gram Panchayats to function effectively. Apart from training, the scheme also provide support to the States/ UTs to create e-enabled Panchayats like Computer and Co-location of Common Service Centres (CSCs) in Gram Panchayat Bhawan on limited scale. The year wise details of computers and CSC collocation approved under revamped RGSA is placed at Annexure-II and Annexure-III, respectively. Further, the details of funds released to States/UTs under the scheme which includes computers and CSC collocation is at Annexure-IV .

Moreover, As per the information provided by the Department of Telecommunications, as on 30.06.2025, Rs. 90813 crores have been disbursed/ utilized, including 1170 crores for Assam for enhancing telecom/ broadband connectivity in the country under various Digital Bharat Nidhi (erstwhile USOF) Schemes.

***

## Annexure referred to in reply to part (b) of the Lok Sabha Starred Question No. 377 answered on 19.08.2025 regarding 'Infrastructure for Panchayats in Assam.

## Adoption of eGramSwaraj for the XV Finance Commission at Panchayat level during FY 2024-25

|   S.No | State Name        |   Total Number of Village Panchayats& Equivalent |   Village Panchayat onboard |   Village Panchayats& Equivalent With Online Payment Total Number of Block |   Panchayats& Equivalent |   Block Panchayat onboard |   Block Panchayats With Online Payment |   Total Number of Zila Panchayats &Equivalent |   Zila Panchayat onboard |   Zila Panchayats With Online Payment |
|--------|-------------------|--------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------|---------------------------|----------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------|--------------------------|---------------------------------------|
|      1 | ANDHRAPRADESH     |                                            13328 |                       13320 |                                                                      13002 |                      660 |                       660 |                                    645 |                                            13 |                       13 |                                    13 |
|      2 | ARUNACHAL PRADESH |                                             2108 |                        2108 |                                                                        426 |                        0 |                         0 |                                      0 |                                            27 |                       26 |                                    11 |
|      3 | ASSAM             |                                             2662 |                        2197 |                                                                       2183 |                      191 |                       191 |                                    191 |                                            30 |                       29 |                                    27 |
|      4 | BIHAR             |                                             8054 |                        8054 |                                                                       8046 |                      534 |                       534 |                                    531 |                                            38 |                       38 |                                    38 |
|      5 | CHHATTISGARH      |                                            11701 |                       11684 |                                                                      11540 |                      146 |                       146 |                                    146 |                                            33 |                       33 |                                    27 |
|      6 | GOA               |                                              191 |                         191 |                                                                         97 |                        0 |                         0 |                                      0 |                                             2 |                        2 |                                     2 |
|      7 | GUJARAT           |                                            14656 |                       14645 |                                                                      14006 |                      248 |                       248 |                                    248 |                                            33 |                       33 |                                    33 |
|      8 | HARYANA           |                                             6226 |                        6226 |                                                                       5980 |                      143 |                       143 |                                    134 |                                            22 |                       22 |                                    22 |
|      9 | HIMACHAL PRADESH  |                                             3615 |                        3615 |                                                                       3557 |                       81 |                        81 |                                     81 |                                            12 |                       12 |                                    12 |
|     10 | JHARKHAND         |                                             4345 |                        4345 |                                                                       4335 |                      264 |                       264 |                                    263 |                                            24 |                       24 |                                    24 |
|     11 | KARNATAKA         |                                             5954 |                        5954 |                                                                       5942 |                      238 |                       232 |                                    127 |                                            31 |                       31 |                                    29 |
|     12 | KERALA            |                                              941 |                         941 |                                                                        941 |                      152 |                       152 |                                    152 |                                            14 |                       14 |                                    14 |
|     13 | MADHYAPRADESH     |                                            23011 |                       23011 |                                                                      22987 |                      313 |                       313 |                                    311 |                                            52 |                       52 |                                    52 |
|     14 | MAHARASHTRA       |                                            27955 |                       27940 |                                                                      27025 |                      351 |                       351 |                                    312 |                                            34 |                       34 |                                    34 |
|     15 | MANIPUR           |                                             3812 |                         161 |                                                                        125 |                        0 |                         0 |                                      0 |                                            12 |                        6 |                                     4 |
|     16 | MEGHALAYA         |                                             6817 |                           0 |                                                                          0 |                     2241 |                         0 |                                      0 |                                             3 |                        3 |                                     0 |

## Annexure-I

| S.No   | State Name    |   Total Number of Village Panchayats& Equivalent |   Village Panchayat onboard |   Village Panchayats& Equivalent With Online Payment Total Number of |   Block Panchayats& Equivalent |   Block Panchayat onboard |   Block Panchayats With Online Payment |   Total Number of Zila Panchayats &Equivalent |   Zila Panchayat onboard |   Zila Panchayats With Online Payment |
|--------|---------------|--------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------|---------------------------|----------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------|--------------------------|---------------------------------------|
| 17     | MIZORAM       |                                              842 |                         842 |                                                                  832 |                              0 |                         0 |                                      0 |                                             0 |                        0 |                                     0 |
| 18     | NAGALAND      |                                             1289 |                         977 |                                                                    0 |                              0 |                         0 |                                      0 |                                             0 |                        0 |                                     0 |
| 19     | ODISHA        |                                             6794 |                        6794 |                                                                 6794 |                            314 |                       314 |                                    314 |                                            30 |                       30 |                                    30 |
| 20     | PUNJAB        |                                            13237 |                       13234 |                                                                10240 |                            153 |                       151 |                                    123 |                                            23 |                       22 |                                    19 |
| 21     | RAJASTHAN     |                                            11222 |                       11219 |                                                                10905 |                            361 |                       353 |                                    351 |                                            33 |                       33 |                                    33 |
| 22     | SIKKIM        |                                              199 |                         199 |                                                                  195 |                              0 |                         0 |                                      0 |                                             6 |                        6 |                                     6 |
| 23     | TAMILNADU     |                                            12525 |                       12525 |                                                                12520 |                            388 |                       388 |                                    388 |                                            36 |                       36 |                                    36 |
| 24     | TELANGANA     |                                            12991 |                       12768 |                                                                12648 |                            572 |                       540 |                                    514 |                                            32 |                       32 |                                    32 |
| 25     | TRIPURA       |                                             1194 |                        1194 |                                                                 1175 |                             75 |                        75 |                                     75 |                                             9 |                        9 |                                     9 |
| 26     | UTTARAKHAND   |                                             7795 |                        7795 |                                                                 7757 |                             95 |                        95 |                                     95 |                                            13 |                       13 |                                    13 |
| 27     | UTTAR PRADESH |                                            57691 |                       57691 |                                                                57638 |                            826 |                       826 |                                    819 |                                            75 |                       75 |                                    75 |
| 28     | WEST BENGAL   |                                             3339 |                        3339 |                                                                 3339 |                            345 |                       345 |                                    345 |                                            22 |                       21 |                                    21 |
| Total  | Total         |                                           264494 |                      252969 |                                                               244235 |                           8691 |                      6402 |                                   6165 |                                           659 |                      649 |                                   616 |

Annexure-II Annexure referred to in reply to part (c) of the Lok Sabha Starred Question No. 377

answered on 19.08.2025 regarding 'Infrastructure for Panchayats in Assam.

State/UT-wise details of Computers approved under revamped RGSA

| Sl. No.   | State/UTs                              | Approved *   |
|-----------|----------------------------------------|--------------|
| 1         | Andhra Pradesh                         | 1922         |
| 2         | Arunachal Pradesh                      | 1936         |
| 3         | Assam                                  | 2055         |
| 4         | Bihar                                  | 4267         |
| 5         | Chhattisgarh                           | 6496         |
| 6         | Goa                                    | 0            |
| 7         | Gujarat                                | 43           |
| 8         | Haryana                                | 1363         |
| 9         | Himachal Pradesh                       | 334          |
| 10        | Jammu and Kashmir                      | 1318         |
| 11        | Jharkhand                              | 2306         |
| 12        | Karnataka                              | 0            |
| 13        | Kerala                                 | 200          |
| 14        | Madhya Pradesh                         | 289          |
| 15        | Maharashtra                            | 1625         |
| 16        | Manipur                                | 141          |
| 17        | Meghalaya                              | 1677         |
| 18        | Mizoram                                | 591          |
| 19        | Nagaland                               | 739          |
| 20        | Odisha                                 | 350          |
| 21        | Punjab                                 | 8334         |
| 22        | Rajasthan                              | 1554         |
| 23        | Sikkim                                 | 235          |
| 24        | Tamil Nadu                             | 1594         |
| 25        | Telangana                              | 3452         |
| 26        | Tripura                                | 493          |
| 27        | Uttar Pradesh                          | 3145         |
| 28        | Uttarakhand                            | 4260         |
| 29        | West Bengal                            | 1712         |
| 30        | Andaman &Nicobar                       | 0            |
| 31        | The Dadra &Nagar Haveli and Daman &Diu | 4            |
| 32        | Lakshadweep                            | 0            |
| 33        | Ladakh                                 | 127          |
| 34        | Puducherry                             | 0            |
| Total     | Total                                  | 52,562       |

*Approved from 2022-23 to 2025-26 (as on 31.07.2025)

Annexure-III

Annexure referred to in reply to part (c) of the Lok Sabha Starred Question No. 377 answered on 19.08.2025 regarding 'Infrastructure for Panchayats in Assam.

State/UT-wise details of CSC Co-location approved under revamped RGSA

| Sl. No   | State/UTs                                    |   CSC Approved* |
|----------|----------------------------------------------|-----------------|
| 1        | Andhra Pradesh                               |             917 |
| 2        | Arunachal Pradesh                            |             939 |
| 3        | Assam                                        |             175 |
| 4        | Bihar                                        |             250 |
| 5        | Chhattisgarh                                 |             130 |
| 6        | Goa                                          |               0 |
| 7        | Gujarat                                      |             412 |
| 8        | Haryana                                      |             982 |
| 9        | Himachal Pradesh                             |            1599 |
| 10       | Jammu and Kashmir                            |            1106 |
| 11       | Jharkhand                                    |             150 |
| 12       | Karnataka                                    |             258 |
| 13       | Kerala                                       |               8 |
| 14       | Madhya Pradesh                               |               0 |
| 15       | Maharashtra                                  |             756 |
| 16       | Manipur                                      |              31 |
| 17       | Meghalaya                                    |              92 |
| 18       | Mizoram                                      |             222 |
| 19       | Nagaland                                     |              49 |
| 20       | Odisha                                       |               0 |
| 21       | Punjab                                       |             500 |
| 22       | Rajasthan                                    |             177 |
| 23       | Sikkim                                       |              54 |
| 24       | Tamil Nadu                                   |             460 |
| 25       | Telangana                                    |             241 |
| 26       | Tripura                                      |              23 |
| 27       | Uttar Pradesh                                |            5612 |
| 28       | Uttarakhand                                  |             800 |
| 29       | West Bengal                                  |               5 |
| 30       | Andaman &Nicobar                             |               0 |
| 31       | The Dadra And Nagar Haveli And Daman And Diu |               0 |
| 32       | Lakshadweep                                  |               0 |
| 33       | Ladakh                                       |               3 |
| 34       | Puducherry                                   |               0 |
|          | Total                                        |           15951 |

*Approved from 2022-23 to 2025-26 (as on 31.07.2025)

Annexure-IV Annexure referred to in reply to part (c) of the Lok Sabha Starred Question No. 377 answered on 19.08.2025 regarding 'Infrastructure for Panchayats in Assam. Details of Central Share released to States/UTs during under revamped RGSA as on date

Rs. in Cr.

| Sl. No   | State Name                               | 2022-23   | 2023-24   | 2024-25   |   2025-26 |
|----------|------------------------------------------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|
| 1        | Andhra Pradesh                           | 0.00      | 0.00      | 2.52      |       0   |
| 2        | Arunachal Pradesh                        | 108.69    | 72.09     | 70.00     |      70   |
| 3        | Assam                                    | 55.29     | 77.70     | 60.00     |      35   |
| 4        | Bihar                                    | 33.37     | 25.00     | 0.00      |      25   |
| 5        | Chhattisgarh                             | 0.00      | 17.57     | 16.50     |      10   |
| 6        | Goa                                      | 0.00      | 0.89      | 1.35      |       0   |
| 7        | Gujarat                                  | 0.00      | 0.00      | 0.00      |       0   |
| 8        | Haryana                                  | 0.00      | 0.00      | 5.00      |      12.5 |
| 9        | Himachal Pradesh                         | 60.65     | 19.31     | 27.21     |      10   |
| 10       | Jammu and Kashmir                        | 40.00     | 65.00     | 65.00     |      25   |
| 11       | Jharkhand                                | 0.00      | 31.00     | 0.00      |       0   |
| 12       | Karnataka                                | 36.00     | 20.00     | 16.25     |      10   |
| 13       | Kerala                                   | 30.40     | 10.00     | 10.00     |      10.5 |
| 14       | Madhya Pradesh                           | 28.00     | 32.17     | 40.00     |       0   |
| 15       | Maharashtra                              | 37.84     | 116.12    | 80.00     |      37.5 |
| 16       | Manipur                                  | 8.63      | 9.56      | 0.00      |       0   |
| 17       | Meghalaya                                | 0.00      | 6.00      | 8.00      |       0   |
| 18       | Mizoram                                  | 14.27     | 10.00     | 12.00     |      10   |
| 19       | Nagaland                                 | 0.00      | 10.00     | 10.00     |       0   |
| 20       | Odisha                                   | 11.40     | 27.33     | 20.00     |      20   |
| 21       | Punjab                                   | 34.25     | 10.00     | 5.00      |      10   |
| 22       | Rajasthan                                | 0.00      | 21.72     | 15.00     |       0   |
| 23       | Sikkim                                   | 6.01      | 6.00      | 7.00      |       0   |
| 24       | Tamil Nadu                               | 25.42     | 0.00      | 45.00     |       0   |
| 25       | Telangana                                | 0.00      | 20.00     | 0.00      |       0   |
| 26       | Tripura                                  | 9.80      | 7.43      | 10.00     |      15   |
| 27       | Uttar Pradesh                            | 85.05     | 84.13     | 38.77     |       0   |
| 28       | Uttarakhand                              | 42.48     | 64.67     | 50.00     |       0   |
| 29       | West Bengal                              | 4.28      | 33.69     | 52.68     |      35   |
|          | Union Territories                        |           |           |           |       0   |
| 30       | Andaman and Nicobar Island               | 0.00      | 0.79      | 2.12      |       0   |
| 31       | Dadra and Nagar Heveli And Daman And Diu | 1.14      | 1.00      | 1.00      |       0   |
| 32       | Ladakh                                   | 0.00      | 1.00      | 0.00      |       0   |
|          | Total                                    | 672.97    | 800.17    | 670.40    |     335.5 |