Better execution: World Bank grant to Gram Panchayats increases by 35%

Kolkata: With better implementation of different projects, the performance-based grant of World Bank to the Gram Panchayats of Bengal has increased by 35 per cent in the current fiscal compared to that of the last financial year.

Since 2011, the Gram Panchayats of Bengal have received performance based grants from the World Bank. In 2020-21, the Gram Panchayats had received a performance based grant of Rs 461.72 crore. Compared to the previous financial year, the grant in the current fiscal has gone up by 35 per cent.

The grant of each Gram Panchayat depends on its population, geographical aspects and assessment of the different development works. Independent organisation carries out the assessment for the World Bank. The parameters set to finalise the grant includes increase in own assets of a gram Panchayat, CAG audit, proper planning for overall development of respective areas, online publication of income and expenditure and at least timely expenditure of 60 per cent of the previous year's grant.

As many as 2568 Gram Panchayats in Bengal have qualified to get the performance based grants. The number of Gram Panchayats to get the grant has increased by 10 per cent this time.

The grant is get utilised for infrastructural development by building market complexes, guest houses, roads within a locality, solar panel fitted street lights, children's park, etc.

The state Panchayat and Rural development minister Subrata Mukherjee said: "The World Bank authorities are quite impressed with the performance of our gram Panchayats. As a result its performance based grant has increased by 35 per cent".

Mukherjee on Monday also inaugurated the new edition of Panchayati Raj Patrika on public health. Nine doctors and three researchers have written different articles in the patrika.

Last year in November-December an edition of the patrika based on Purulia district was released by Mukherjee in a programme at Purulia Town itself.