For empowering the Panchayti Raj in Madhya Pradesh, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and Madhya Pradesh Council of Science and Technology (MPCST) will start EPRIS project.
The project Empowering Panchayati Raj Institutions Spatially (EPRIS) is an outreach programme by ISRO. The programme would be started in 28 developmental blocks of Satna, Betul and Sagar.
Notably, EPRIS is a comprehensive outreach programme with a goal to empower Panchayati Raj Institutions for resource based and integrated spatial development planning. It aims to locally empower the rural areas using space based inputs. Besides, as a start to the plan, ISRO has selected 57 districts from across the country of that three districts are from Madhya Pradesh. Moreover, the plan is intended towards the outreach activities that comprises of capacity building of elected Panchayati Representatives, asset mapping task and activity planning task.
Under the capacity building task, workshops will be held under State, district and development block level. During the workshop partner institutions, the Panchayat representatives and the development block representatives will be trained. Under development block level, workshops for Panchayat Raj Institutions, agricultural institutions and other universities will be held.
Under asset mapping, digital inventory of Panchayat assets and its map will be updated through mobile app. Under the third section i.e. activity planning task, activities will be planned. Under this section developmental activities and planning will be discussed.
Senior scientist of MPCST Alok Choudhary informed that a workshop was conducted in three districts in the month of January. Besides, a letter on holding the capacity task workshop has also been send to collectors of Satna, Betul and Sagar.