Lok Sabha Question No. 1521 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-12-09
Subject: Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan
Ministry: PANCHAYATI RAJ
Asked by: Smt. Shambhavi, Shri Rajesh Verma, Shri Atul Garg

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF PANCHAYATI RAJ

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1521

ANSWERED ON 09/12/2025

## RASHTRIYAGRAM SWARAJABHIYAN

## 1521. SHRI ATUL GARG: SHRI RAJESH VERMA: SMT. SHAMBHAVI:

Will the Minister of PANCHAYATI RAJ be pleased to state:

- (a) the total number of Gram Panchayats and the details of parameters or criteria prescribed for providing dedicated office infrastructure and internet connectivity to these Gram Panchayats, with State and district-wise information including Uttar Pradesh and Bihar;
- (b) the details and number of computers sanctioned for empowering the Gram Panchayats digitally in Uttar Pradesh and the States where 100 percent digital saturation has been achieved, with State and district-wise information;
- (c) the future plan outlined by the Government to provide infrastructural and digital resources to the remaining Panchayats in Uttar Pradesh, including timelines, funding sources and targeted districts where facilities are still lacking; and
- (d) the role of the said initiatives in enhancing service delivery and administrative efficiency to Panchayats under the Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (RGSA) in Uttar Pradesh, with State-wise details on how digital tools, connectivity and office infrastructure have improved governance and outreach?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF PANCHAYATI RAJ

## (SHRI RAJIV RANJAN SINGH ALIAS LALAN SINGH)

(a) & (c) Panchayat, being 'Local Government', is a State subject and part of the State list of the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution of India. Thus the primary responsibility of providing dedicated office infrastructure for Gram Panchayats and internet connectivity in Panchayats lies with States/UTs. The Gram Panchayat (GP) Bhawan functions as the office for Panchayats to carry out its various administrative functions. The States/ UTs have to ensure the Gram Panchayat Bhawan is functional, with provisions such as public seating, space for Gram Sabha meetings, information walls, multifunctional rooms etc. to support effective governance and community use. However, under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (RGSA), the Ministry supplements the efforts of States/UTs including Uttar Pradesh and Bihar in building Panchayat infrastructure and

computers and peripherals, at a limited scale, with particular focus on the North Eastern States. Further, Ministry with its limited resources under RGSA, attempted saturation approach for supporting Gram Panchayat Bhawans and computerization. With regard to Gram Panchayat Bhawans, the focus was on approving GP Bhawan for Panchayats having a population of over 3,000 but lacking their own building. Under the scheme of RGSA, construction of 13342 Gram Panchayat Bhawans has been approved to different States/UTs including 1273 and 500 Gram Panchayat Bhawans to the State of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, respectively. Similarly, procurement of 55,587 computers has been approved under the scheme including 3145 and 4,267 Computers to the State of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, respectively. The State/UT-wise details of Gram Panchayat Bhawans and computers approved under RGSA is Annexed . District-wise information is not maintained centrally .

All Gram Panchayats are accessing internet services either through private service providers or via the BharatNet project. As a result, all GPs are using e-GramSwaraj portal for carrying out a wide range of functions and activities. Further, to attain the vision of Digital India, the BharatNet project is being implemented by Department of Telecommunications (DoT) in a phased manner to provide broadband connectivity to all Gram Panchayats in the country. So far, 2.18 lakh GPs/ Traditional Local Bodies (TLBs) have been made service-ready for providing high-speed internet services under the BharatNet project. Additionally, to improve digital connectivity, the Amended BharatNet Programme was approved by the Cabinet on 04.08.2023 for the upgradation of the existing network of BharatNet Phase-I and Phase-II and the creation of a network in the remaining Gram Panchayats.

(b) Under the scheme of RGSA, procurement of 3,145 computers was approved for the State of Uttar Pradesh. So far, the State/ UTs of Goa, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Manipur, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Andaman & Nicobar Island, Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu and Ladakh have reported that there are no Gram Panchayats are without computers.

(d) Ministry is implementing the e-Panchayat Mission Mode Project (MMP) under RGSA for e-enablement of Panchayats to improve service delivery, transparency, and administrative efficiency. The eGramSwaraj application, developed as part of the e-Panchayat MMP, has facilitated digital planning, accounting, monitoring, and online payments at 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. Additionally, the Ministry has integrated eGramSwaraj with the Government eMarketplace (GeM) to bring transparency at Panchayat level procurement. This integration allows Panchayats to procure goods and services through GeM via the eGramSwaraj platform. Further, an application of 'AuditOnline' has been developed for online audits of Panchayat accounts and their financial management. All the Panchayats of the State of Uttar Pradesh are on-boarded on eGramSwaraj. Out of 58,596 Panchayats in the State of Uttar Pradesh, 58562 Panchayats have prepared and uploaded their Panchayat Development Plan (PDP) on eGramSwaraj portal.

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.

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. The campaign "Meri Panchayat, Mera Adhikaar -Jan Sevaayein Hamaare Dwaar," conducted in 2021, reinforced these efforts. So far, 2.15 lakh Gram Panchayats have uploaded their Citizens' Charters, offering 954 services, including 33 services of Uttar Pradesh.

****

## Annexure

## Annexure refer to in reply to Part (a) & (c) of the Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No.1521 to be answered on 09/12/2025 regarding Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan

## State/UT-wise details of Gram Panchayat (GP) Bhawans and computers approved under RGSA

| Sl. N o.   | State/UTs                          | No. of GPBhawan approved   | No. of computer approved   |
|------------|------------------------------------|----------------------------|----------------------------|
| 1          | Andaman &Nicobar Islands           | 2                          | 0                          |
| 2          | Andhra Pradesh                     | 617                        | 1,922                      |
| 3          | Arunachal Pradesh                  | 1,339                      | 1,936                      |
| 4          | Assam                              | 610                        | 2,055                      |
| 5          | Bihar                              | 500                        | 4,267                      |
| 6          | Chhattisgarh                       | 334                        | 6,496                      |
| 7          | Dadra &Nagar Haveli and Daman& Diu | 17                         | 4                          |
| 8          | Goa                                | 1                          | 25                         |
| 9          | Gujarat                            | 412                        | 43                         |
| 10         | Haryana                            | 892                        | 1,363                      |
| 11         | Himachal Pradesh                   | 343                        | 334                        |
| 12         | Jammu &Kashmir                     | 1,000                      | 1,318                      |
| 13         | Jharkhand                          | 0                          | 2,306                      |
| 14         | Karnataka                          | 258                        | 0                          |
| 15         | Kerala                             | 7                          | 200                        |
| 16         | Ladakh                             | 3                          | 127                        |
| 17         | Lakshadweep                        | 0                          | 0                          |
| 18         | Madhya Pradesh                     | 50                         | 289                        |
| 19         | Maharashtra                        | 1,376                      | 1,625                      |
| 20         | Manipur                            | 43                         | 141                        |
| 21         | Meghalaya                          | 36                         | 1,677                      |
| 22         | Mizoram                            | 368                        | 591                        |
| 23         | Nagaland                           | 183                        | 739                        |
| 24         | Odisha                             | 500                        | 350                        |
| 25         | Puducherry                         | 0                          | 0                          |
| 26         | Punjab                             | 759                        | 8,334                      |
| 27         | Rajasthan                          | 43                         | 1,554                      |
| 28         | Sikkim                             | 27                         | 235                        |
| 29         | Tamil Nadu                         | 146                        | 1,594                      |
| 30         | Telangana                          | 856                        | 3,452                      |
| 31         | Tripura                            | 131                        | 493                        |
| 32         | Uttar Pradesh                      | 1,273                      | 3,145                      |
| 33         | Uttarakhand                        | 1,012                      | 7,260                      |
| 34         | West Bengal                        | 204                        | 1,712                      |
|            | Total                              | 13,342                     | 55,587                     |