By Our National Affairs Bureau
NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi shall be addressing various Gram Panchayats across the country on Friday, the 24th of April 2020. The Day is celebrated annually as the National Panchayati Raj Day.As the country is observing Social Distancing through Lockdown, the Prime Minister shall be interacting with various participants through video-conferencing.
Narendra Modi shall be launching of the unified e-GramSwaraj Portal and Mobile App on the occasion.The Unified Portal is a new initiative of Ministry of Panchayati Raj which will provide the Gram Panchayats with a single interface to prepare and implement their Gram Panchayat Development Plan (GPDP).
Prime Minister shall also be launching the Swamitva Scheme on the occasion. The scheme provides for an integrated property validation solution for rural India; the demarcation of inhabited land in rural areas would be done by the use of latest surveying methods – Drone’s technology with the collaborated efforts of the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, State Panchayati Raj Department, State Revenue Department and Survey of India.
Every year, on this occasion, Ministry of Panchayati Raj has been awarding the best performing Panchayats/States/UTs across the country under the Incentivization of Panchayats in recognition of their good work for improving delivery of services and public goods. This year three such awards viz. Nanaji Deshmukh Rashtriya Gaurav Gram Sabha Puraskar (NDRGGSP), Child-friendly Gram Panchayat Award (CFGPA) and Gram Panchayat Development Plan (GPDP) Award have been finalized which will be shared with the concerned States/ UT.
24th April, 1993 marks a defining moment in the history of decentralization of power to the grassroots, with the institutionalization of Panchayati Raj, through the Constitution (73rd Amendment) Act, 1992 which came into force with effect from that day. Ministry of Panchayati Raj commemorates 24th April of every year as the National Panchayati Raj Day (राष्ट्रीय पंचायती राज दिवस) (NPRD), as the 73rd Constitutional Amendment came into force on this date. This occasion provides an opportunity for direct dialogue with Panchayat representatives from all over the country as well as recognizing their achievements to empower and motivate them further.
Normally, National Panchayati Raj Day is commemorated as a grand event on a big scale and is being generally held outside Delhi. On many occasions, Hon’ble Prime Minister has graced the occasion. This year, it was proposed to organize a national event at Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh and Hon’ble Prime Minister had accorded his kind consent to inaugurate the national event and address all the Gram Sabhas and Panchayati Raj Institutions across the country. But, owing to unprecedented situation that emerged due to outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic in the country, it has been decided to commemorate the National Panchayati Raj Day digitally on 24th April, 2020 (Friday).
Every year, on this occasion, Ministry of Panchayati Raj has been awarding the best performing Panchayats/States/UTs across the country under the Incentivization of Panchayats in recognition of their good work for improving delivery of services and public goods. Awards are given under various categories namely, Deen Dayal Upadhyay Panchayat Sashaktikaran Puraskar (DDUPSP), Nanaji Deshmukh Rashtriya Gaurav Gram Sabha Puraskar (NDRGGSP), Child-friendly Gram Panchayat Award (CFGPA), Gram Panchayat Development Plan (GPDP) Award and e-Panchayat Puraskar (given to States/UTs only). This year, due to lockdown, awards under only three categories viz. Nanaji Deshmukh Rashtriya Gaurav Gram Sabha Puraskar (NDRGGSP), Child-friendly Gram Panchayat Award (CFGPA) and Gram Panchayat Development Plan (GPDP) Award have been finalized and will be shared with the concerned States/ UT. Award in the other two categories will be finalized and communicated to States separately after completion of due process which got delayed due to the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic.
The NPRD programme will be telecast / webcast over DD–News and the e–event will be witnessed by the Officers of Panchayati Raj Departments and other stake-holders at State / District / Block / Panchayat level across level without compromising the lockdown norms and social distancing measures.
