Union Minister Giriraj Singh exhorts Sarpaches, Gram Pradhans to ensure participation in revamped National Panchayat Awards.

September 3, 2022

Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister Giriraj Singh have exhorted Sarpaches and Gram Pradhans to ensure participation of all Gram Panchayats in the selection process of the revamped National Panchayat Awards.
The process of inviting applications for revamped National Panchayat Awards will commence from 10th of this month. The last date for online submission of entries is 31st October this year.
The Minister informed that the format, procedures, and categories of the National Panchayat Awards have been comprehensively revised to establish a multi-level competition to reorganize, felicitate and incentivize the best performing Panchayats at the Block, District, State, and National levels.
Mr Singh said, to accelerate the pace of localization and achievement of Sustainable Development Goals in Panchayats, the format and categories of National Panchayat Awards has been substantially modified.
24th April is observed by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj as National Panchayati Raj Day every year to celebrate the constitutional status accorded to Panchayati Ray system in the country.
On this occasion, Ministry of Panchayati Raj has been awarded the best performing Panchayats, States, and Union Territories across the country.

National Panchayat Awards

Incentivization of Panchayats scheme is one of the central components of Centrally Sponsored scheme of revamped Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (RGSA).
Under this scheme, ‘National Panchayat Awards’ are given to the best performing Panchayats,including financial incentives for award winning Panchayats, in recognition of their performances under various priority sectors/themes.
These awards are usually given annually on 24th April, celebrated as National Panchayati Raj Day to commemorate 73rd Constitution Amendment Act, 1992 which came into force with effect from 24th April, 1993.
To nudge PRIs for a systematic planning, implementation, monitoring and accountability towards achieving LSDGs at the Panchayat level, the National Panchayat Awards have been restructured.

Incentivization of Panchayats scheme, through National Panchayat Awards aims to:

Assess the performance of PRIs in attainment of SDGs through 9 identified themes
Promote competitive spirit among PRIs
Catalyze the process of ‘Localization of SDGs through PRIs’and sensitizing the PRIs about significance of attaining LSDG by 2030