Lok Sabha Question No. 171 (STARRED), answered on 2025-03-11
Subject: Contribution of RGSA
Ministry: PANCHAYATI RAJ
Asked by: Shri Arun Bharti

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF PANCHAYATI RAJ

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. *171

ANSWERED ON 11/03/2025

## CONTRIBUTION OFRGSA

## *171. SHRI ARUN BHARTI:

Will the Minister of PANCHAYATI RAJ be pleased to state:

- (a) the details of contribution of the Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (RGSA) in strengthening Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) in rural areas in the country during the last year particularly in Bihar;
- (c) the ways in which RGSA enhanced the governance and delivery of public services at the grassroot level in rural areas during the last year;
- (b) the details of initiatives under RGSA that have supported the capacity building of elected representatives and functionaries of Panchayats in 2024;
- (d) the impact of the implementation of RGSA led in improving infrastructure and service delivery in rural areas during the last year; and
- (e) the details of progress made by the Government under RGSA in fostering the participation of women and marginalized communities in rural governance during the last year?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF PANCHAYATI RAJ

(Shri Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh)

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

## STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) to (e) OF THE LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 171 FOR ANSWER ON 11.03.2025 REGARDING CONTRIBUTION OF RGSA

(a) & (e) Ministry is implementing Revamped Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Rashtriya Gram SwarajAbhiyan (RGSA) w.e.f. financial year 2022-23 in States/ UTs including Bihar with main objective of capacitating Panchayati Raj institutions (PRIs) through imparting training to the Elected Representatives (ERs), functionaries and other stakeholders to develop their governance capabilities for leadership roles to enable the Panchayats to function effectively. Apart from training, under RGSA, Ministry also provides support to the States/ UTs to establish institutional mechanism for the Capacity Building & Training and to create Panchayat infrastructure like Gram Panchayat Bhawan, Computer and Co-location of Common Service Centres (CSCs) in Gram Panchayat Bhawan on limited scale mainly for North Eastern, Hilly and difficult areas.

Under the RGSA scheme, during the financial year 2023-24, a total of 39,92,382 participants were provided training in States/UTs, including 1,63,809 participants from Bihar, which also includes women and marginalized communities. Additionally, 4008 Panchayat Bhawan constructions were approved for States/UTs, with 280 in Bihar. Furthermore, 11,931 computers were approved for States/UTs, with 267 in Bihar, and 7,776 Common Service Centers (CSC) co-locations in Gram Panchayat Bhawans were approved across States/UTs, including 250 in Bihar.

(b) 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 such as IIMs and IRMA under Leadership/Management Development Program (MDP).

(c ) & (d) Under the revamped Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (RGSA), capacity building and training of elected representatives and functionaries were taken on various aspects such as preparation of thematic development plan, financial management, use of Information Communication Technology (ICT) in rural governance and service delivery, specialized training, etc. These trainings have enhanced governance at grassroots level. The elected representatives and functionaries are using GramSwaraj application developed under ePanchayat Mission Model Project (MMP), which facilitated digital planning, accounting, monitoring, and online payments. The Ministry has also integrated eGramSwaraj with the Public Financial Management System (PFMS) for Gram Panchayats (GPs) to enable realtime payments to vendors/service providers. In 2023-24, 2.54 lakh Gram Panchayats uploaded their Gram Panchayat Development Plans (GPDPs) and transferred over Rs. 55,000

crores through the eGramSwaraj-PFMS interface to vendor/service providers.

Further, in order topromote integrated electronic service delivery at the Panchayat level, the Ministry of Panchayati Raj has implemented ServicePlus under the e-Panchayat Mission Mode Project. ServicePlus is a configurable, end-to-end delivery framework through which any service can be defined, accessed, delivered and monitored by Panchayats or any government department for a rapid rollout of electronic services. This platform facilitates delivery of number of services across States/UTs, streamlining workflows, enhancing transparency, and ensuring efficiency.

To further improve rural service delivery, the Ministry has introduced the Model Panchayat Citizens' Charter, aligning local actions with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This framework guides Panchayats in delivering services in a time-bound manner while addressing citizens' grievances effectively. So far, 2.15 lakh Gram Panchayats have uploaded their Citizens' Charters, offering number of services.

****