Lok Sabha Question No. 1845 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-08-01
Subject: Setting up of e-Panchayats and Gram Sachivalayas
Ministry: PANCHAYATI RAJ
Asked by: Ranjeeta Koli, Manoj Rajoria

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF PANCHAYATI RAJ

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. † 1845

ANSWERED ON 01.08.2023

## SETTING UP OF E-PANCHAYATS AND GRAM SACHIVALAYAS

## †1845. SHRIMATI RANJEETA KOLI: DR. MANOJ RAJORIA:

## Will the Minister of PANCHAYATI RAJ be pleased to State:

- (a) whether the Government has recommended for setting up of e-Panchayats and Gram Sachivalayas in the country including Rajasthan and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether the Government has set any target regarding setting up of Gram Sachivalayas to provide city-like IT-facilities in rural areas under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Gram Swaraj Abhiyan and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) the  details  of  the  facilities  likely  to  be  provided  by  the  Government  in  the  Gram Sachivalayas; and
- (d) the steps taken by the Government to achieve the target fixed under Gram Swaraj Abhiyan in the country including Rajasthan?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR PANCHAYATI RAJ

## (SHRI KAPIL MORESHWAR PATIL)

(a)& (b) States have been suggested to undertake construction of GP Bhawans utilizing various resources under convergence mode, viz unspent Fourteenth Finance Commission (FFC) grants, Fifteenth  Finance  Commission  (XVFC)  United  Grants,  MGNREGS  funds  and  other  funds from State Finance Commission (SFC)/ own source Revenues (OSR) etc.

Under  Digital  India  Programme,  Ministry  of  Panchayati  Raj  is  implementing  ePanchayat Mission Mode Project (MMP), in all the States/ UTs of the country. The aim is to revamp the functioning of Panchayats and to make them more transparent, accountable and effective.  Ministry  has  launched  eGramSwaraj,  an  accounting  application  to  simplify Panchayat work like planning, accounting and budgeting. In order to ensure better financial management of PRIs for enhancing transparency & accountability in maintenance of accounts, the eGramSwaraj has been integrated with Public Finance Management System (PFMS) to make real time payments to vendors/service providers. The progress made under eGramSwaraj in the State of Rajasthan for the year 2023-24 is given at Annexure .

Panchayat being State subject, providing infrastructure to Panchayats is primarily the responsibility of States/ Union Territories (UTs). Under e-Panchayat MMP, no direct fund is provided to States. However, Ministry, under the scheme of revamped Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (RGSA), supplements the efforts of all States by providing computers/ infrastructure for Panchayats as proposed by States/UTs in their Annual Action Plan and approved by Central Empowered Committee, on a limited scale.

Further, for attaining the vision of Digital India, BharatNet  project is being implemented by Department of Telecommunications in a phased manner to create network to connect all the Gram Panchayats by broadband in the country.

(c) Ministry  is  encouraging  the  Panchayats  to  adopt  their  own  Citizens'  Charter  for successful  delivery  of  services  for  which  the  Ministry  has  formulated  the  model  Citizens' Charter and shared with the States. Adoption of such Citizens' Charter by the States is being monitored through dedicated portal. Out of 11250 GPs in the State of Rajasthan, Gram Sabhas are held in 11248 GPs and Citizen Charter has been uploaded by 11247 GPs.

(d) Since revamped Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (RGSA)scheme of the Ministry of Panchayati Raj is demand driven in nature, hence no such target has been fixed.

***

Annexure referred to in reply to part (a) of the Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 1845 answered on 01.08.2023 regarding 'Setting Up of e-Panchayats and Gram Sachivalayas'.

## Adoption of eGramSwaraj at Panchayat level during FY 2023-24 in Rajasthan

| Total Number of Zila Panchayats &Equivalent      |    33 |
|--------------------------------------------------|-------|
| Plans Uploaded                                   |     9 |
| Zilla Panchayat onboard (eGS - PFMS)             |    33 |
| Zilla Panchayats &Equivalent with Online Payment |    31 |
| Total Number of Block Panchayats & Equivalent    |   352 |
| Plans Uploaded                                   |   263 |
| Block Panchayat onboard (eGS - PFMS)             |   352 |
| Block Panchayats &Equivalent with Online Payment |   310 |
| Total Number of Gram Panchayats & Equivalent     | 11342 |
| Plans Uploaded                                   | 11246 |
| Gram Panchayat onboard (eGS - PFMS)              | 11315 |
| Gram Panchayats &Equivalent with Online Payment  |  7694 |