Guwahati: In a significant move to bolster local governance, a high-level review meeting was held today at the State Institute of Panchayat & Rural Development (SIPRD), Guwahati, with officials from all eight North Eastern States.
The meeting, chaired by Shri Sushil Kumar Lohani, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Panchayati Raj (MoPR), aimed to assess the progress of key initiatives and accelerate the empowerment of Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) in the region.
Shri Lohani, known for his proactive approach, inaugurated the meeting by highlighting the Ministry’s commitment to strengthening PRIs through institutional capacity building and improved grassroots governance. He underscored the importance of empowering these local bodies as the foundation for rural development.
Joining the discussion, Shri Vipul Ujwal, Director, MoPR, stressed the need for targeted training programs to bridge existing gaps and ensure that PRIs are well-equipped to drive inclusive rural development.
The meeting focused on a comprehensive review of several critical areas:
Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (#RGSA): The Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Revamped RGSA aims to enhance the governance capabilities of PRIs to deliver on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The meeting reviewed the progress of capacity building and training programs for elected representatives under this scheme.
Fifteenth Finance Commission (#FFC) Grants: Discussions revolved around the effective utilization of grants provided by the FFC, which is responsible for recommending the devolution of taxes and other fiscal matters to states and local bodies.
eGramSwaraj-PFMS Interface: A key agenda point was the onboarding of PRIs onto the eGramSwaraj-Public Financial Management System (PFMS) interface, a digital platform designed for transparent and efficient financial management at the local level.
Panchayat Development Plans (PDPs): The meeting reviewed the progress of uploading PDPs, which are comprehensive development plans formulated by Gram Panchayats.
Panchayat Advancement Index: The review also focused on the progress under the Panchayat Advancement Index, a multi-domain and multi-sectoral index used to assess the holistic development and performance of panchayats.
Officers from Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Sikkim, and Tripura participated in the meeting, presenting their respective progress reports.
Shri Lohani concluded the session by urging all states to accelerate their actions to achieve tangible outcomes and further strengthen the role of PRIs in the socio-economic transformation of the North East.