Lok Sabha Question No. 4854 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-04-01
Subject: Special Programme for PRIs
Ministry: PANCHAYATI RAJ
Asked by: Shri Brijmohan Agrawal

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF PANCHAYATI RAJ

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4854

ANSWERED ON 01.04.2025

## SPECIALPROGRAMME FOR PRIS

## †4854. SHRI BRIJMOHAN AGRAWAL:

Will the Minister of PANCHAYATI RAJ be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Government is taking any steps to ensure that even small and remote Panchayat areas in States like Chhattisgarh receive adequate financial support, even though they have relatively less population and if so, the details thereof;

(b) whether the Government is running any special programmes for capacity building of Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) in the country including Chhattisgarh for ensuring efficient use of allocated funds; and

(c) if so, the details of the key features of these programmes along with the details of Panchayats benefited from them so far?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR PANCHAYATI RAJ

## (PROF. S.P. SINGH BAGHEL)

(a) Article 280 of the Constitution of India provides the basis for the Central Finance Commission to assess the status of finances of the Union, States and their respective local bodies and recommend sharing of taxes as well as grants for various purposes to the States and Local Bodies. The Finance Commission grant can be used by Rural Local Bodies (RLBs) for location-specific felt needs under 29 subjects enshrined in the Eleventh Schedule of the Constitution, except for salary or other establishment expenditure.

The criteria for fund allocation determined by the 15th Central Finance Commission involve inter-se distribution among the States, with a weightage of 90 percent assigned to population and 10 percent to the areas of the States.

The inter-se distribution among all the tiers to be done by the State Governments on the basis of the accepted recommendations of the latest State Finance Commission (SFC) and in conformity with the following bands;

| Range for distribution   | Gram Panchayats   | Block Panchayats   | District Panchayats   |
|--------------------------|-------------------|--------------------|-----------------------|
| Minimum                  | 70%               | 10%                | 5%                    |
| Maximum                  | 85%               | 25%                | 15%                   |

States which have a two-tier system with only village and district panchayats, the allocation shall be in the following bands:

| Range for distribution   | Gram Panchayats   | District Panchayats   |
|--------------------------|-------------------|-----------------------|
| Minimum                  | 70%               | 15%                   |
| Maximum                  | 85%               | 30%                   |

If SFC recommendations are unavailable, the inter-se distribution within the tiers should be decided by the state government within the bands indicated above. The intra-tier distribution among the relevant entities across the State should be on the basis of population and area in the ratio of 90:10 or as per the accepted recommendation of the latest SFC.

(b) & (c) Ministry of Panchayati Raj is implementing Revamped Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (RGSA) w.e.f. financial year 2022-23 in States/ UTs including Chhattisgarh 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.

Under the scheme, the 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, the Ministry also supports 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 under the Leadership/Management Development Program (MDP). Under Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (RGSA) scheme w.e.f. FY 2022-23, total 1,14,61,210 participants, including 3,71,743 participants from Chhattisgarh,have been trained so far.

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