Cabinet okays Rs 5,911 crore for RGSA to empower panchayats
New Delhi: In a major move aimed at empowering elected representatives of Panchayati raj institutions for leadership roles, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) on Wednesday approved the continuation of the Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (RGSA) scheme with an outlay of Rs 5,911 crore. The Cabinet has approved the continuation of the revamped RGSA from April 1, 2022, to March 31, 2026.
As per the norms of the Centrally-sponsored scheme, of the total financial outlay of Rs 5,911 crore, Rs 3,700 crore would be the Centre's share and Rs 2,211 crore would be the states' share.
While addressing a Press conference to brief media about the cabinet decisions, Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur said that the RGSA will help more than 2.78 lakh rural local bodies, including traditional bodies across the country to develop governance capabilities to deliver on SDGs (sustainable development goals) through inclusive local governance with a focus on optimum utilisation of available resources.
The scheme would work towards "poverty-free and enhanced livelihood in villages; healthy village, child-friendly village; water sufficient village; clean and green village; self-sufficient infrastructure in the village; socially secured village; village with good governance; engendered development in the village".
The minister further said, "The revamped RGSA will help improve Panchayati Raj Institutions and ensure development in villages. It will help bridge the gap between the rural and urban areas and strengthen Panchayati raj institutions across the country,"
"No permanent posts would be created under the scheme but "need-based contractual human resources may be provisioned for overseeing the implementation of the scheme and providing technical support to States/UTs," Thakur said, adding that the government's focus had been the development of rural areas which had been neglected after Partition.
Around 60 lakh elected representatives, functionaries, and other stakeholders of rural local bodies will be direct beneficiaries of the scheme.
