In a bid to further enhance the effectiveness of grassroots governance across the country, the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) of the Revamped, Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (RGSA), in its 8th meeting under the Chairmanship of Secretary, Ministry of Panchayati Raj (MoPR) Mr. Vivek Bharadwaj, made several significant decisions. The major decisions taken include Adoption of Standardized Honorarium under RGSA, Long term Domestic Training of Panchayat officials, Training of elected representatives in Smart Classrooms, Investment in Gram Panchayat Infrastructure throughout the country with special focus on North Eastern States and UT of Jammu and Kashmir.

Adoption of Standardized Honorarium System under RGSA

The CEC approved the standardization of honorarium rates for Master Trainers, Guest Faculties, and Eminent Resource Persons across States/UTs. This decision ensures equitable compensation, fostering the availability of high-quality trainers, which is critical for improving training delivery at the grassroots level. By addressing disparities in honorarium, the decision sets a new benchmark for training consistency and capacity building across Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs). This decision marks a crucial step towards ensuring uniformity and quality in training delivery across the country, from larger States like Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra to smaller ones like Sikkim and Goa. This is particularly important for States like Bihar, Gujarat, Punjab and West Bengal, which are scaling up their training initiatives. By standardizing rates, the Ministry aims to attract and retain high-quality Trainers and Resource Persons, which is essential for effective capacity building of Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) in every State.

States/UTs to sponsor Panchayat Officials for Long-Term Domestic Training Programs for higher Learning

“Funding for Long-Term Domestic Training Programs” for up to one year of duration for officials of PRIs and Panchayati Raj Department in the States/UTs under the State component of RGSA has been given a go ahead. The move aims at ensuring that the officials receive advanced, sector-specific training from Institutes of Excellence which will upgrade their skill set for better service delivery at the grassroots. This aligns with the objective of RGSA to strengthen decentralized governance and improved implementation efficiency. It will boost the overall competency of officials involved in rural development and local self-governance, thereby improving grassroots planning. It will also result in extensive Human Capital formation in PRIs over a period of few years.

The decision addresses the critical need for in-depth skill upgradation of PRI functionaries across all participating States. By including subjects like spatial planning, resource mobilization, and disaster management, the program aims to equip officials with comprehensive knowledge essential for rural development in diverse geographical contexts, from the coastal regions of Kerala to the mountainous terrains of Himachal Pradesh. All the States and UTs will benefit from this decision as the North East (NE) and Hilly States can sponsor 10 candidates each for higher learning, UTs and Goa up to 5 applicants each while other States can sponsor up to 20 candidates each.

Boost to Panchayat Infrastructure

To enhance infrastructure, the CEC approved, construction of 3,301 Gram Panchayat Bhawans with Common Service Centre (CSC) co-location and sanctioned 22,164 computers for Gram Panchayats across various States including Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Punjab, and Telangana. This decision is a boost for Panchayati Raj system in these States as it directly addresses infrastructure gaps, enabling better administrative functioning and digital governance in rural areas. The provision of dedicated buildings and computer equipment will facilitate efficient record-keeping and e-governance, significantly enhancing local government operations and service delivery.

Elected Representatives of Panchayats to be trained in Smart Classrooms

In a bid to modernize the Panchayat Resource Centers at the State and District level across the country, computer labs in State Panchayat Resource Centers (SPRCs) in 25 States as well as in District Panchayat Resource Centers (DPRCs) in 395 Districts will be upgraded with more computers of latest specification. At the same time, approval has been given for installing technological Educational Aids in these SPRCs and DPRCs across States/UTs. This decision for upgrading the State and District Panchayat Resource Centers (SPRCs/ DPRCs) in States like Gujarat and Tamil Nadu will modernize training infrastructure, creating a conducive learning environment. By integrating digital tools including projectors, LCDs, interactive panels and PA systems, the training centers will be better equipped to deliver high-quality capacity-building programs. This move is expected to accelerate the adoption of digital learning and improve the training outreach to Panchayat functionaries across India.

Investment in Panchayat Infrastructure in the Vibrant Villages of the Border Areas of North East and Jammu and Kashmir

Over a period of last few years, a number of decisions to support the infrastructure development for PRIs in the North Eastern States and the UT of Jammu and Kashmir have been taken. In the past years, the Ministry has supported construction of Panchayat Bhawans as well as setting up of Common Service Centres for ease of the residents in these areas. In J&K, the Ministry has supported construction of 970 GP Bhawans and co-location of 1606 Common Service Centres during 2024-25.

In this meeting, decision has been taken for the construction of 400 Panchayat Bhawans-cum-Common Service Centers in Arunachal Pradesh. This is in continuation of MoPR’s support in the past for 939 GP Bhawans with collocated CSCs. Similarly, Panchayat infrastructure has been supported for the other States of North East including Mizoram, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Assam, Manipur. Overall, 1633 Gram Panchayat Bhawans and 514 CSCs have been approved for the States of North East.

These initiatives aim at enhancing administrative efficiency and provide essential services at the grassroots level, significantly contributing to the development of Vibrant Villages.

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