E-Paper
Ahead of panchayat meet, PM Modi’s reminder on their key role as Covid warriors
PM Narendra Modi will interact with gram panchayat members on the occasion of Panchayati Raj Day using video conferencing.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote to Panchayati Raj Minister Narendra Singh Tomar on Thursday, a day before he interacts with Gram Panchayats across the country through video conferencing on the National Panchayati Raj Day.
Prime Minister Modi highlighted the important role a strong rural economy can play in the growth of the country and also the emphasis put on rural development by his government as evidenced in several schemes. His letter also praised the role of Gram Panchayats in fighting coronavirus at the grassroots level through social distancing and other measures announced by the government.
“We are going through an unprecedented situation, when coronavirus pandemic has emerged as a challenge in front of the entire humanity. All Indians are united in our fight against this disease. All those members of the Panchayati Raj, who have fully committed themselves like brave warriors to combat this illness, are a source of inspiration for us,” Modi said.
PM will launch a unified e-GramSwaraj Portal and Mobile App tomorrow on the occasion of the National Panchayati Raj Day.
The portal will provide the Gram Panchayats with a single interface to prepare and implement their Gram Panchayat Development Plan (GPDP).
PM Modi will also launch ‘Swamitva Scheme’ on the occasion. It is meant as a tool for integrated property validation in rural India. Swamitva or Ownership scheme will ensure the demarcation of inhabited land in rural areas with the use of the latest surveying methods including the use of drones.
Every year best performing Panchayats/states and union territories (UTs) across the country are rewarded for good work in the area of service delivery and public goods. This year three such awards namely, Nanaji Deshmukh Rashtriya Gaurav Gram Sabha Puraskar (NDRGGSP), Child-friendly Gram Panchayat Award (CFGPA) and Gram Panchayat Development Plan (GPDP) Award have been finalized. The details of award winners will be shared with the concerned states.
Normally, National Panchayati Raj Day is commemorated as a grand event on a big scale. It was to be organised as a national event at Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh this year and PM Modi had confirmed his participation but the outbreak of Covid-19 led to the decision to hold a digital version of the event.
