Shri Giriraj Singh, Union Minister of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj released the Report on “Localization of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through Panchayati Raj Institutions” on 07-12-2021 in the presence of Shri Kapil Moreshwar Patil, Minister of State for Panchayati Raj.

On this occasion, two dedicated Dashboards namely (i) Gram Panchayat Development Plan (GPDP) Monitoring Dashboard on monitoring the progress of GPDP and (ii) Training Management Portal on Capacity Building and Training of Elected Representatives and Functionaries of Panchayati Raj Institutions were launched by Union Minister of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj. Handbook on Training Management Portal was also released.

Shri Giriraj Singh appreciated the efforts of the Expert Committee constituted by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj for bringing out this informative report which will serve as plan for action towards achieving the SDGs. Underlining India’s commitment to achieve SDGs by 2030. He exhorted 32 lakh elected representatives of Panchayati Raj Institutions to consider achieving the SDGs as a challenge and start working in a focussed and concerted manner at grassroots level. Union Minister of Rural Development Panchayati Raj called upon Panchayati Raj Institutions to take up issues such as quality plantations, tackle problem of all forms of malnutrition, health, education, ease of living and livelihood opportunities etc. to ensure all-round development. Panchayats also need to pay attention to ensure the services of health and wellness centres, clean drinking water and sanitation to residents in rural areas.

Emphasising the need for convergence, Shri Giriraj Singh said that a lot can be achieved through effective convergence with MGNREGA works in a well-planned and well-coordinated manner.

Union Minister of Panchayati Raj Shri Giriraj Singh called upon officers at all levels and the functionaries of Panchayati Raj Institutions to work with emotion and devotion to translate the vision of Prime Minister to ensure rapid transformation at grassroots level.

Union Minister of Panchayati Raj made special mention of the facility of e-learning in the Panchayat Libraries in various Gram Panchayats across the State of Karnataka and the benefits being provided to the students of various competitive examinations through Digital Libraries. Union Minister of Panchayati Raj expressed confidence that if the elected representatives and functionaries of the Panchayats resolve to set-up digital libraries in all Panchayats, it can also become a reality and it requires simply a firm resolve.

Referring to the achievements of Odanthurai Gram Panchayat under Coimbatore District in Tamil Nadu – a role model Gram Panchayat famous and widely-acclaimed for becoming self-sufficient in electricity generation, Union Minister of Panchayati Raj Minister Shri Giriraj Singh expressed the hope that if other Gram Panchayats are determined, they can also become self-sufficient in energy production or other areas.

Addressing on this occasion, Shri Kapil Moreshwar Patil, Minister of State for Panchayati Raj called for entrepreneurial initiatives to increase access to livelihood prospects and creating more and better employment opportunities at Panchayat level. Appreciating the Report, Shri Kapil Moreshwar Patil expressed the hope that Report on “Localization of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through Panchayati Raj Institutions” will serve as a roadmap for taking the benefits of development to the last person in the society. Based on the vision of the Prime Minister, Panchayats should undertake the development works with faith and confidence derived from the vision of the Prime Minister. Union Minister of State for Panchayati Raj highlighted that enhanced level of knowledge and proper planning will pave the way for overall progress and end poverty in rural areas.

Describing the Report on “Localization of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through Panchayati Raj Institutions” as a concrete step towards inclusive growth, Shri Sunil Kumar, Secretary, Ministry of Panchayati Raj said that this report will prove to be transformative in the years to come. In order to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, all concerned Departments need to make concerted efforts and start working on wide ranging issues and strategies which require a whole-of-government approach. A whole of government approach is an essential and important element in bringing all stakeholders on-board in order to achieve SDGs through active involvement of the community at grassroots level. Shri Sunil Kumar, Secretary, MoPR said that dashboards unveiled today will also be beneficial to all concerned Ministries/ Departments and stake-holders of Panchayati Raj.

A detailed presentation on Report on “Localization of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through Panchayati Raj Institutions” was made by Smt. Jayashree Raghunandan, Additional Chief Secretary, Government of Tamil Nadu. Presentations on (i) GPDP Monitoring Dashboard on monitoring the progress of GPDP and (ii) Training Management Portal on Capacity Building and Training of Elected Representatives and Functionaries of Panchayati Raj Institutions were made by Smt. Rekha Yadav, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Panchayati Raj.

Shri Sunil Kumar, Secretary, Ministry of Panchayati Raj, Smt. Jayashree Raghunandan, Additional Chief Secretary, Government of Tamil Nadu, Shri (Dr.) Chandra Shekhar Kumar, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Panchayati Raj, Shri K. S. Sethi, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Panchayati Raj, Smt. Rekha Yadav, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Panchayati Raj and other Senior Officers of the Ministry of Panchayati Raj were also present.

Officials from Central Ministries including Ministry of Education, Ministry of Law & Justice, Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change, Ministry of Rural Development, Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Ministry of Women and Child Development, Ministry of Social Justice, Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Officials from Panchayati Raj Departments of all States/ UTs, officials from NIRD&PR and SIRD&PRs, representatives from the UN agencies that include FAO, ILO, UNDP, UNFPA, UN Women, UNEP, UNICEF and WHO also attended the programme through virtual mode.

Background:

India is a signatory of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2030. Ministry of Panchayati Raj (MoPR) is committed to the achievements of SDGs through the Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (RGSA) Scheme. The RGSA scheme mandates to capacitate elected representatives for good governance through attainment of SDGs through participatory local planning at Gram Panchayat level.

In May 2021, an Expert Group was constituted by MoPR to provide policy guidance to the Ministry on Localization of SDGs at the Panchayat level. Smt. Jayashree Raghunandan, Additional Chief Secretary, Government of Tamil Nadu chaired the Expert Group with other members being senior officers from MoPR, State Panchayati Raj Departments and State Institutes of Rural Development & Panchayati Raj (SIRD&PRs). 

The Expert Group after thorough deliberations submitted a detailed report in October 2021 with recommendations on the strategies and initiatives to be taken for localization of the SDGs at the Grassroot level engaging Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) and all relevant stakeholders in rural India.

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