Latest news with #GramPanchayats
Hans India
7 days ago
- Politics
- Hans India
Gazette notification gives room for early panchayat polls
Rajamahendravaram: There are growing indications that Panchayat elections may be conducted earlier than scheduled, possibly as soon as September. Although the current term of the Gram Panchayats officially ends in March 2026, the Panchayat Raj Act permits elections to be held up to five months in advance. Observers believe the State government may use this provision to go to the polls early. The previous round of panchayat elections was held in February 2021, with the governing bodies taking charge from April 1 of that year. The YSR Congress Party secured over 90 percent of the panchayats during that round. However, allegations arose that the ruling party misused its power to block opposition candidates from filing nominations, raising questions about the fairness of the process. In a move that strengthens the possibility of early elections, officials have begun the process of notifying the gram panchayats across the region. On Thursday, Kakinada District Collector and United District nodal officer Sagili Shan Mohan issued a gazette notification confirming the total number of gram panchayats in the erstwhile East Godavari district as 1,102. This figure was finalised after including newly formed panchayats, merged mandals, and those integrated into urban local bodies. The notification was issued based on the directions of the State Panchayat Raj Commissioner. In 2010, the district had 1012 gram panchayats divided into five grades based on population and revenue. After the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh in 2014, four mandals from Khammam district were merged into East Godavari. Later, in 2020, new panchayats were formed. Special notifications were issued creating 35 new gram panchayats, while eight were converted into municipalities or merged with urban bodies. As part of this reorganisation, 63 panchayats from Kunavaram, Chintur, VR Puram, and Yetapaka mandals were added to East Godavari. In 2010, the panchayats were categorised into five grades based on population and revenue, but now, a move towards a three-grade system is being discussed. Currently, smaller panchayats are being administered in clusters of two or three.
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Business Standard
UP's project for revamping govt schools highlighted at NDA CMs' conclave
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday highlighted the achievements of the state's flagship 'Project Alankaar' for revamping government schools at the NDA Chief Ministers' conclave in Delhi, an official statement said. The initiative received widespread appreciation at the conclave chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and many of the chief ministers expressed interest in replicating it in their states, the statement said. Launched on October 1, 2021, Project Alankaar aims to transform infrastructure and learning environments in 2,441 government secondary schools across Uttar Pradesh by achieving 100 per cent compliance with 35 infrastructure and facility benchmarks. The project has equipped schools with modern amenities such as new classrooms, science labs, libraries, computer labs and smart classrooms, creating an inclusive and conducive learning environment, the statement said. Funding for Project Alankaar comes from the state government, Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan, Gram Panchayats, urban local bodies, corporate social responsibility (CSR) contributions, and voluntary donations. The project's implementation is monitored by district-level committees led by district magistrates and overseen by the director of education. The Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) 2024 highlighted the project's impact, noting increased student enrolment and attendance. Enrolment in government secondary schools rose by 23 per cent between 2022-23 and 2024-25, attendance in primary schools (Classes 15) grew by 11.5 per cent from 2010 to 2024, and upper primary attendance (Classes 68) increased by 9.6 per cent from 2018 to 2024 -- the highest in the country. Library usage surged by 55.2 per cent, and access to girls' toilets improved by 54.4 per cent, the statement said. Chief Minister Model Schools (pre-primary to Class 12) and Chief Minister Abhyudaya Schools (pre-primary to Class 8) are also being developed under the project, including playgrounds, verandahs, electricity and internet connections, boundary walls, main gates, green spaces, storage rooms, staff rooms, stages, guard rooms, and deep freezers for mid-day meals. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Hans India
24-05-2025
- Business
- Hans India
PAI Version 2.0 to ensure data-based monitoring, planning at gram panchayat level
New Delhi: The Panchayat Advancement Index (PAI) Version 2.0 is aimed at building capacities for data-based monitoring and planning at the gram panchayat level to support the achievement of holistic, inclusive, and sustainable development in rural areas through Panchayati Raj Institutions, the government said on Saturday. The Ministry of Panchayati Raj is organising a two-day 'Writeshop' on the PAI Version 2.0 in the capital on May 26-27 which marks the national roll out of PAI 2.0 for FY 2023–24. The PAI has been developed as a robust, multidimensional tool to assess and monitor the progress of Gram Panchayats against nine themes aligned with the Localised Sustainable Development Goals (LSDGs). These themes cover areas such as poverty alleviation, health, education, water sufficiency, clean environment, infrastructure, governance, social justice and women's empowerment. While PAI 1.0 (FY 2022–23) served as a baseline assessment tool, PAI 2.0 incorporates major enhancements based on extensive field experience and stakeholder feedback. According to the ministry, PAI 2.0 introduces a sharper and more focused framework by rationalising the number of indicators from 516 to 147, ensuring higher data quality, ease of reporting, and actionable insights. The refined 'Local Indicator Framework' now emphasizes outcome-oriented, measurable indicators across nine LSDG themes, enabling Gram Panchayats to better track progress, prioritize interventions, and enhance transparency in local governance. The key improvements in PAI 2.0 include reduction in the number of indicators from 516 in PAI 1.0 to 147 in PAI 2.0 to improve usability and reduce reporting burden; rationalised data points and themes, focusing on quality over quantity; auto-integration of data from national portals of Union Ministries and Departments; and streamlined and mobile-friendly portal interface with improved dashboards and user accessibility, among others. Participants will also engage in hands-on group exercises for portal configuration, data entry, validation, and use of PAI outputs in planning. On the second day, State and UT teams will present their experiences, share implementation insights from PAI 1.0, and showcase how they plan to utilise PAI 2.0 for strengthening Gram Panchayat Development Plans (GPDPs).
Indian Express
24-05-2025
- Indian Express
Madhya Pradesh official embezzled Rs 13 crore meant for Swachh Bharat scheme: Probe
An internal investigation by the Betul district administration in Madhya Pradesh has revealed embezzlement and financial irregularities to the tune of Rs 13.21 crore in the implementation of the Swachh Bharat Mission (Rural) scheme in Bhimpur and Chicholi Janpad Panchayats. Swachh Bharat Mission (Rural), a centrally sponsored scheme, is administered at the district level in Betul, a tribal dominated district in southern Madhya Pradesh, by the District Panchayat and implemented through Janpad and Gram Panchayats. Activities under the scheme include the construction of toilets, garbage carts, soak pits, composting units, and other waste management infrastructure. Payments are processed via the Public Financial Management System (PFMS), with funds transferred to Gram Panchayats, implementation agencies, or beneficiaries after technical and administrative approval. On March 6, discrepancies were found in payments made to Rajendra Singh Parihar, a block coordinator of the scheme, prompting the Collector and the CEO of the District Panchayat to order an investigation. The CEO of Bhimpur Janpad Panchayat conducted a formal inquiry, while verbal directions were given to the CEO of Chicholi Janpad Panchayat to look into similar issues during Parihar's posting there. According to investigators, during his tenure in Chicholi (November 2, 2021 to March 5, 2025) and Bhimpur (January 31, 2023 to October 24, 2024), Parihar allegedly facilitated unauthorised payments amounting to Rs 13,21,71,220. A scrutiny of bank transfers revealed that the payments were made to a construction firm, an auto firm and bank accounts based in Indore and Waraseoni, according to the investigation. The probe also showed that no work related to these payments was carried out in Betul district, no technical or administrative approvals were issued, and no related documents were maintained in the office. The district administration has alleged that Parihar employed the use of two computer operators to misuse the 'digital signature certificate' of the CEO for the Swachh Bharat Mission scheme 'without the permission or knowledge of the CEO, possibly from a location outside the Janpad Panchayat offices, to facilitate unauthorised and fraudulent financial transactions'. Betul Superintendent of Police Nishchal N Jhariya told The Indian Express that Parihar is absconding and that an FIR was registered on March 19 against 12 persons under sections related to cheating. 'Parihar is absconding in this case. We have not arrested anyone, and an SIT is looking through government records to make a watertight case. There is a possibility that more government officials will be made accused in the case and the amount (of money involved) may also increase,' the SP said. Betul Collector Narendra Kumar Suryavanshi acknowledged that the accused had taken advantage of some loopholes. 'The digital signature certificate was misused, and when the amount was siphoned off, we did not receive any OTP alerts,' Suryavanshi told The Indian Express. Suryavanshi said the government has begun monthly reviews of all development works carried out in the district. 'We have already initiated disciplinary action against the accused. His property has been identified, and we will recover the stolen amount. Furthermore, we are plugging the loopholes. All digital signatures will be secured in pendrives by officials, and a monitoring team is reviewing all development work to ensure this doesn't happen again,' he said.
Hans India
22-05-2025
- Business
- Hans India
Govt clears pending bills worth Rs 153 cr in single day to GPs
Hyderabad: The State government on Wednesday cleared around 10,000 pending bills to Gram Panchayats and released an amount of Rs 153 crore. According to a release, the government has cleared 9,990 pending bills in a single day and has paid bills under Rs 10 lakh. The priority will be given to clearing pending bills till August 2024. 'The previous government has accumulated pending bills worth massive amounts for the department. Along with this, Rs 85 crore has also been released for various works undertaken under SDF (Special Development Fund),' it added.
