Lok Sabha Question No. 1975 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-08-01
Subject: e-Panchayat Mission Mode Project in West Bengal
Ministry: PANCHAYATI RAJ
Asked by: Sukanta Majumdar

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF PANCHAYATI RAJ LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1975 ANSWERED ON 01.08.2023

## E-PANCHAYAT MISSION MODE PROJECT IN WEST BENGAL

## 1975 DR. SUKANTA MAJUMDAR:

Will the Minister of PANCHAYATI RAJ be pleased to State:

- (a) whether e-Panchayat Mission Mode Project (MMP) is being implemented in West Bengal;
- (b) if so, the details of the progress made thereunder, district-wise;
- (c) the  details  of  facilities  and  equipments  likely  to  be  made  available  in  Panchayats under the said project;
- (d) the details of funds likely to be spent for converting any Panchayat into e-Panchayat; and
- (e) the details of the funds allocated and spent in North and South Dinajpur districts of West Bengal?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR PANCHAYATI RAJ

## (SHRI KAPIL MORESHWAR PATIL)

(a) & (b) Yes,  Sir.  Under  Digital  India  Programme,  Ministry  of  Panchayati  Raj  is implementing e-Panchayat Mission Mode Project (MMP), in all the States/ UTs of the country including West Bengal. 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. Ministry has also integrated eGramSwaraj with Public Financial Management System (PFMS) for  Gram  Panchayats  (GPs)  to  make  real  time  payments  to  vendors/service  providers.  The progress made under eGramSwaraj in the States of West Bengal for the year 2022-23 is given at Annexure .

(c) to (e) Under the e-Panchayat MMP, no direct financial assistance is provided to States / UTs for implementation of e-governance in the Panchayats. Panchayat being a State subject, providing infrastructural facilities to GPs is primarily the responsibility of States. However, the Centrally Sponsored Scheme of revamped Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (RGSA) being implemented from 01.04.2022 to 31.03.2026, supplements the efforts of States on a limited scale by providing financial support for certain infrastructural facilities for GPs such as Gram Panchayat Bhawans, computers and peripherals. Under RGSA funds have been provided to State and not to Districts. Rs 4.28 crore has been released to West Bengal under RGSA during the last  financial  year.    Further,  BharatNet  project  is  being  implemented by Department of Telecommunications in a phased manner to create network to connect all the GPs by broadband in the country. So far, 1,99,144 GPs have been made Service Ready under the BharatNet project in the country. The scope of BharatNet on 30.06.2021 has been extended up to all inhabited villages beyond GPs in the country.

Annexure

Annexure referred to in reply to part (a) & (b) of the Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 1975 answered on 01.08.2023 regarding 'e-Panchayat Mission Mode Project in West Bengal'.

## Adoption of eGramSwaraj at Panchayat level

|   S.No. | Financial Year   |   Total Number of Zila Panchayats &Equivalent |   Plans Uploaded |   Zilla Panchayat onboard (eGS - PFMS) |   Zilla Panchayats& Equivalent with Online Payment |   Total Number of Block Panchayats &Equivalent |   Plans Uploaded |   Block Panchayat onboard (eGS - PFMS) |   Block Panchayats& Equivalent with Online Payment |   Total Number of Gram Panchayats &Equivalent |   Plans Uploaded |   Gram Panchayat onboard (eGS - PFMS) |   Gram Panchayats& Equivalent with Online Payment |
|---------|------------------|-----------------------------------------------|------------------|----------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------|------------------|----------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------|------------------|---------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------|
|       1 | 2021-22          |                                            22 |               21 |                                     21 |                                                 21 |                                            344 |              334 |                                    336 |                                                333 |                                          3340 |             3228 |                                  3229 |                                              3213 |
|       2 | 2022-23          |                                            22 |               21 |                                     21 |                                                 21 |                                            344 |              336 |                                    336 |                                                334 |                                          3340 |             3222 |                                  3229 |                                              3223 |
|       3 | 2023-24          |                                            22 |               21 |                                     21 |                                                 21 |                                            344 |              335 |                                    336 |                                               4819 |                                          3340 |             3223 |                                  3229 |                                              3218 |