‘Basic pillars of Indian democracy,' tweets PM Modi on National Panchayati Raj Diwas

This year, PM Modi is visiting Jammu and Kashmir's Palli village to mark the celebration. This is his first visit to the state since Article 370 was scrapped.

Published on: Apr 24, 2022, 12:04:20 IST

By HT News Desk

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday greeted the nation on the occasion of the National Panchayati Raj Day. Taking to Twitter to extend wishes, the Prime Minister said panchayats (village bodies) are the 'pillars of Indian democracy' and “key to building a self-reliant India”. "Wishing you all a very Happy National Panchayati Raj Day. Panchayats are the basic pillars of Indian democracy, whose strength lies in the prosperity of the new India," PM Modi said. "Let us take a pledge to further empower our panchayats in building a self-reliant India," he added.

File photo of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. (HT Photo)

Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh marked the first National Panchayati Raj Day on 24 April 2010, stressing that the decentralisation of power to the grassroots, the institutionalization of Panchayati Raj, and the active participation of locals, contribute to the overall growth of the country. It is celebrated annually on April 24 by the Union Ministry of Panchayati Raj as on this day in 1993 the Constitution (73rd Amendment) Act, 1992 ,came into force.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also took to Twitter to extend wishes on the day. "It was the dream of Mahatma Gandhi that the country's villages should become strong. Former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi made that dream come true by bringing the Panchayati Raj system," he wrote on the micro-blogging site.

Meanwhile, Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot renewed his government's commitment to strengthen the panchayati Raj institutions so that "people at grassroots are empowered." He said it "is the true essence of democracy. Panchayati Raj lies at the core of our democratic polity."

"Salute and celebrate the efforts of all those working to strengthen our Panchayati Raj institutions, further development at the grassroots and fulfil aspirations of rural India," tweeted union minister of education Dharmendra Pradhan.

This year, PM Modi is visiting Jammu and Kashmir's Palli village to mark the celebration. This is his first visit to the state since Article 370 was scrapped.

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