Raja Syed Rather
Srinagar, Dec 16 :
The Centre on Tuesday said that it has released Rs 235 crore during the past five years to strengthen Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) in Jammu and Kashmir.
In a written reply to a query, Union Ministry of Panchayati Raj, according to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), informed Lok Sabha that under the Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (RGSA) Jammu and Kashmir received ₹25 crore in 2020–21, ₹40 crore in 2021–22, ₹40 crore in 2022–23, and ₹65 crore each in 2023–24 and 2024–25.
Capacity building, training of elected representatives and officials, and strengthening basic Panchayat infrastructure— are some of the areas where funds were used, the reply stated.
It said that under the Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan, more than 7.25 lakh participants from J&K were trained between 2022–23 and 2025–26 with an aim to improve governance, planning, and service delivery at the grassroots level.
Also, for uplifting the Panchayat infrastructure in the Union Territory, approval has been granted for the construction of 1,000 Gram Panchayat Bhawans, besides the procurement of 1,318 computers to promote digital governance and transparency in rural local bodies, the reply stated.
It said the to bridge the digital divide, the Ministry is implementing initiatives such as eGramSwaraj, AuditOnline, and the People’s Plan Campaign in Jammu and Kashmir, which will reinforce participatory planning, online monitoring, and accountability in Panchayat functioning—(KNO)