At a Panchayat Raj convention at Jamshedpur, Jharkhand, on Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi conferred the first prize to Panchayats and Rural Development Minister Gopal Bhargava for excellent rural development in Madhya Pradesh. The State has been conferred this prize for excellent works in scheduled areas in compliance of Constitutional provisions.
The state has 5211 villages in 20 district in scheduled area. Jharkhand's Governor Draupdi Murmu, Union Rural Development, Panchayat Raj, Drinking Water and Sanitation Minister Choudhary Veerendra Singh, Union Minister of State for Rural Development Sudarshan Bhagat and Union Minister of State for Panchayat Raj Nihal Chand were also present on the occasion.
In Madhya Pradesh, constant excellent works have been undertaken through special efforts of different dimensions including fund, action plan and personnel management. These 3 dimensions are key to success of Panchayats. Strategy for rural development has been chalked out in Madhya Pradesh by focusing on these dimensions, which drew encomiums at national level. Experts committee constituted by the Central Government also lauded these works. This is the reason that Madhya Pradesh has been conferred this top award.
Panchayat Empowerment Awards were given to state's 14 Gram, 2 Zila and 2 Janpad Panchayats including Indore and Dewas Zila Panchayats and Bersia (Bhopal) and Dindori Janpad Panchayats. Kishanpur Gram Panchayat in Hoshangabad district was conferred Rashtriya Gaurav Puraskar. Other awardees included Bachchharwal, Nayapura (Dewas), Harda Khurd, Baranga (Harda), Chhatarpur (Anuppur), Nipaniya (Sehore), Banakhera, Saheli, Pauni, Semri Harchand, Paradev, Randhal (Hoshangabad).