PM Modi asks union ministers to apprise panchayat representatives about socio-economic initiatives taken to uphold rural quarter

Ravi S Singh

New Delhi, June 12

Giving further push to his vision to strengthen the socio-economic condition of villages along with their political empowerment, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has asked his Union Ministers to make the elected representatives of Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) aware of the steps taken by the Centre towards this end during the eight-years of its governance.

Sources said that the thrust of the purported message which the ministers are to purvey among the elected representatives of local rural bodies are the measures taken to empowerthe PRIs- the stepping block of democracy.

In addendum, the Prime Minister Office (PMO) is understood to have sent a missive directly to Sarpanchs seeking their cooperation for successful implementation of the government’s programmes in line with the Mission of “Aatm Nirbhar Bharat” campaign, and strengthening of Rural-India.

The Sarpanches’ attention have been drawn to the realisation of self-sufficiency, andself-rule of the villages due to steps of the government.

Reminding them of the villages beingpillars of democracy, the Sarpanches have been urged to become active members forthe success of participatory democracy, sources said.

The development was around the time of Modi’s last episode of his “Mann Ki Bast” programme, which was a day before Modi-led government completed eight years in office.

The sources said that Modi’s communications on any forum becomes the motherlode of a BJP’s admass calisthenics since he is its mascot. Hence, it is expected that the party will also follow suit and make it a distributive material among the people at large on the theme of achievements of Modi government.

Modi, through several forums, includingMann Ki Baat programme, has homed in on the need to strengthenthe socio-economic, and political fabric, and development culture of the villages.

Substantial increase in amount and frequency of the Central Grants to Panchayats, timely release of allocated funds, direct financial assistance, expanding the nature and scope of local rural bodies, including the omnibus Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), and convergence ofsundry other welfare schemes are some of the illustrative measures taken by the government to empower the local bodies.

A government functionary said that the Centre, through its policy of direct transfers of money to the Panchayats, and digitisation in governance, has eradicated the middlemen and self-styled “netas” who used to mug the sarpanchs.