New Delhi, 17 November (H.S.):

The Ministry of Panchayati Raj is set to convene its second Panchayat Sammelan at Taj Hotel & Convention Centre in Agra, Uttar Pradesh on 19th November 2024. This is the second “Panchayat Sammelan” of the series of four sammelans, the first being held in Hyderabad. This initiative marks a significant milestone in strengthening grassroots governance and service delivery mechanisms in rural areas across the country.

Minister of State, Ministry of Panchayati Raj & Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Prof. S. P. Singh Baghel will chair this crucial regional workshop titled “Panchayat Sammelan on Ease of Living: Enhancing Service Delivery at Grassroots”. The event will also be graced by Shri Om Prakash Rajbhar, Minister of Panchayati Raj, Uttar Pradesh, Vivek Bharadwaj, Secretary, Ministry of Panchayati Raj, Narendra Bhooshan, Additional Chief Secretary, Department of Panchayati Raj, Government of Uttar Pradesh, Alok Prem Nagar, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Panchayati Raj, highlighting the collaborative efforts of the Central and State Governments in promoting good governance and sustainable rural development.

The Panchayat Sammelan will host delegates from eight States – Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Nagaland, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand – representing diverse geographical regions and governance experiences. Panchayat functionaries and elected representatives, who form the backbone of grassroots service delivery, will participate in detailed deliberations on enhancing last-mile service accessibility and establishing quality benchmarks for rural governance.The workshop aims to catalyze transformative changes in rural governance, ultimately contributing to the ease of living for rural citizens across India. Building on the success of the Hyderabad Panchayat Sammelan, the Agra Panchayat Sammelan will also be live-streamed in 11 languages – Bengali, English, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Odia, Punjabi, Tamil, and Telugu – using the AI-powered Bhashini platform.

The Panchayat Sammelan at Agra will highlight transformative initiatives, including harnessing emerging technologies for enhanced service delivery by the Wadhwani Foundation, configuring ServicePlus for online services by NIC and MoPR, and leveraging digital public goods such as RapidPro (UNICEF) and Bhashini. In addition, the National Institute of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj (NIRD&PR) will present strategies for benchmarking rural service delivery, reflecting a robust commitment to digital innovation and governance excellence.

The Panchayat Sammelan builds upon the constitutional mandate enshrined in Article 243G, which empowers Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) as vital units of local self-government. This constitutional provision has entrusted PRIs with the crucial responsibility of implementing 29 subjects, including agriculture, health, education, social welfare and public distribution systems, marking them as essential pillars of decentralized governance. As the third tier of democratic governance, Panchayats play a pivotal role in ensuring timely and effective delivery of services directly to rural residents’ doorsteps. The workshop will focus on developing robust strategies to deepen service accessibility to the last mile, with particular emphasis on benchmarking and enhancing service delivery quality.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Nimish kumar