Hyderabad: The National Panchayati Raj Day is celebrated every year in India on 24th April. This day marks the passing of the Constitution (73rd Amendment) Act, 1992 that came into force with effect on 24 April 1993.
This day is lauded, as it was on this day that the constitution endowed the village Panchayats with the power to function as self-sustained units of self-government.
The very first Panchayati Raj Diwas was celebrated on April 24, 2010, under the aegis of the then Prime Minister of India, Dr Manmohan Singh. The enactment of 73rd Amendment Act had led to a defining moment in the history of India which helped in the decentralization of political power to the grassroots level.
Formation of "Gram Swaraj"
Mahatma Gandhi, said that "India would perish, if the villages in our country perished, and hence, he dreamed of strong vibrant villages, which would form the backbone of India. Introducing the need for gram swaraj, meaning village administration."
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The Panchayati Raj is divided into a three-tier structure, namely:
- The Village Panchayat
- The Panchayat Samiti
- The Zila Parishad
Panchayati Raj works for the better of the rural people and it helps in transforming Rural India into a better place to live.
The rural bodies implement around 70 per cent of India’s rural development programmes with an annual budget of over Rs 2 lakh crore.
A mobile app ‘Gramoday Sankalp’ was launched in the year 2017, on the Panchayati Raj Diwas. Gramoday Sankalp is a quarterly magazine from the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, Govt. of India. It aims to disseminate information, innovations, studies and analysis. The app will provide seamless access to the magazine even when people are not connected to the internet.
Also launched in 2017 was the YouTube channel of the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, which showcases short videos based on the inspirational stories and achievements of the Panchayati Raj members.
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Over the years Kerala, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Sikkim and West Bengal have been declared as the best performing states in terms of the working of Panchayati Raj.
Some honours for the best performing Panchayats
- Deendayal Upadhyay Panchayat Sashaktikaran Puraskar
- Nanaji Deshmukh Rashtriya Gaurav Gram Sabha Puraskar
- Award to Gram Panchayats for good work in the implementation of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Generation Scheme (MGNREG), awarded by the Ministry of Rural Development
