The Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Yogi Adityanath has said that every Gram Panchayat in the state would become a smart panchayat. These smart panchayats, across the state, will get facilities like optical fibre and WiFi.
The CM was sharing his thoughts while launching development projects worth over Rs 1100 crore in Airi Rampura at Jalaun on 24 April 2022. Speaking about the plans for the smart panchayats, Yogi said, “The idea of Gram Swaraj, put forward by Gandhiji, can be realised only when our panchayats are empowered to become ‘Atmanirbhar’. If all the 58,000 Gram Panchayats work with a positive development-oriented approach, then every citizen, every village will contribute towards the prosperity of the new India.”
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Emphasising the need to transform villages into ‘smart villages’, the CM said that his government is working towards the establishment of village secretariats (Gram Sachivalaya) for effective implementation of various government schemes at the grassroots level, facilities of optical fibre and WiFi in every Gram panchayat will be provided as per the Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision.
Urging all the village representatives to work similar to the award-winning panchayats, Yogi said that “There is no shortage of funds today, with farsightedness, positive intent and determination, each Gram Panchayat should strive towards development.”
Among the inaugurated projects were 39,000 Panchayat Secretariats with Internet connectivity built at a cost of Rs 682.50 crore, as many as 7,10,000 LED lights installed in panchayats at a cost of Rs 306.72 crore, 2,000 community toilets built at a cost of Rs 90 crore and 16 District Panchayat Resource Centers and Training Centers (DPRCs) constructed at a cost of Rs 33.60 crore.
Uttar Pradesh secured the third spot for the e-Panchayat award nationally for ensuring maximum use of information technology for monitoring the works of the Panchayats. It is noteworthy that the efforts of the state to bring transparency, efficiency and accountability in the functioning of Gram Panchayats through the use of information and communication technology were also praised.
Uttar Pradesh received as many as 28 national-level awards in different categories. The Nanaji Deshmukh National Gaurav Gram Sabha award was given to Hansudi Ausanpur Gram Panchayat, Siddharthnagar, while Deen Dayal Upadhyay Panchayat Sashaktikaran Puraskar-2022 has been given to two district panchayats of Jalaun and Mirzapur, three kshetra panchayats and 20 Gram Panchayats in different categories. This includes Naujheel kshetra panchayat of Mathura district, Pathardeva kshetra panchayat of Deoria district and Bangra kshetra panchayat of Jhansi district.
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The Gram Panchayats which have received awards in different categories include the Gram Panchayats of Kurepura Kaner of Kuthound block of Jalaun district, Mau Rural of Mauranipur block of Jhansi district, Dundu Kheda Bangar of Kandhala block of Shamli district, Mustafapur and Milak Amawati of Dilari block of Moradabad, Talour of Jhansi block Moth, Budhana of Muzaffarnagar, Phugna in Sanaha block of Ayodhya, Thatibar of Dudahi block of Kushinagar, Hamirpur Ruru of Irwa Katra block of Auraiya, Birona of Baldev block of Mathura, Deoria of Mithwal block of Siddharthnagar, Putthi Ibrahimpur of Jansath block of Muzaffarnagar, Basti Mujhna of Sau Ghat block, Ghuri Tikar of Tarun block of Ayodhya, Mailani of Ramnagar block of Basti, Bhartaul of Bithri Chainpur block of Bareilly, Bateshwar of Bah block of Agra, Penti Kheda of Fatehabad, Agra and Burnpur of Birdpur block of Siddharthnagar.