Latest news with #Panchayats(ExtensiontoScheduledAreas)Act
Indian Express
6 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Net gain: Maharashtra panchayat adopts eOffice system
A panchayat in the tribal belt of Maharashtra has adopted paperless governance, courtesy the eOffice system extending its reach to the grassroots level. Rohini, located in Maharashtra's Dhule district, is possibly the first village panchayat in the country to implement the eOffice system, a digital workplace solution for government offices. Vishal Narwade, chief executive officer, Dhule Zilla Parishad, said the eOffice system started in the village this year. 'It was mandated from January 1 for district level, we extended it to panchayat too,' said Narwade. He said Rohini is the first panchayat to operate in paperless eOffice mode, though there is no official data yet to confirm it. Located at the foot of the Satpura hills near the state's border with Madhya Pradesh, Rohini is a 'PESA Gram Panchayat', a term used for gram sabhas in scheduled areas which are empowered by the provisions of the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996, also known as the PESA Act. The panchayat has a population of 7,200 spreading over the main village — Rohini — and 7 hamlets (Jagnapada, Bomalyapada, Chirkhanpada, Kalapada, Dampada, Piplyapani and Navapada). Over 80% habitants of Rohini panchayat are tribals, mostly from the Pawara tribe. Until recently, the residents of the panchayat had to walk miles to avail services as their hamlets were located 1-7 km away from the panchayat office. The advent of information and communication technology (ICT) in the village has changed the situation, with residents opting for online service delivery and grievances redressal. The people at Rohini panchayat, which had a literacy rate of just 45% in 2011, now boast about achieving 100% digital literacy. The panchayat uses at least eight different types of ICT platforms, including its own website that allows its residents to avail various services. The others include use of digital platforms such as eGramSwaraj, Panchayat Nirnay app for online participatory decision-making, citizen-centric service delivery via Common Service Centres (CSCs), Panchayat ICT lab for digital literacy, videoconferencing facility and Meri Panchayat app for grievance redressal and seeking suggestions. The latest ICT initiative is the introduction of the eOffice system that helps the village panchayat officials send and receive files in electronic mode. Speaking to The Indian Express, gram panchayat secretary Manoj Dilip Kumavat said that files from the Block Development Office are received and sent back using the eoffice, which was introduced in February this year. Apart from its website, the Rohini gram panchayat also has its own YouTube channel, Facebook page, Instagram account and a WhatsApp group. It also released its own E-governance policy last year. Narwade said bulk SMS and calling systems are used to disseminate information about government schemes, gram sabha meetings are held in physical and virtual mode where people of the village join remotely and telemedicine facility is available from the primary health centre to all the hamlets in the panchayat. Rohini sarpanch Dr Anand Pawara said the digital initiatives introduced by the panchayat have ensured effective implementation of the government schemes on the ground. Prasanna Kulkarni, a block-level health official, said the footfall of patients, particularly the number of institutional deliveries, has increased after adoption of ICT. Rohidas Surmal Pawara, 30, a resident, said he has availed the online services for getting a birth certificate and registering his grievances regarding non-supply of drinking water and electricity. The digital push by the Rohini gram panchayat has earned it accolades and awards. Recently, it bagged Gold in the National e-Governance Awards, 2025 under the newly added category —Grassroots Level Initiatives for Deepening Service Delivery at Gram Panchayats or Equivalent Traditional Local Bodies — which recognises digital initiatives by panchayats. According to officials, representatives of other PESA gram panchayats have visited Rohini. It has been selected as the panchayat learning centre by Pune-based Yashwantrao Chavan Academy Of Development Administration, the administrative training institute of the Maharashtra government, said Sharadchandra Mali, deputy director at the institute. For this, the Rohini panchayat received funding of Rs 7 lakh from the Central government, Mali said. (The writer was in Rohini village on the invitation of Ministry of Panchayati Raj) Harikishan Sharma, Senior Assistant Editor at The Indian Express' National Bureau, specializes in reporting on governance, policy, and data. He covers the Prime Minister's Office and pivotal central ministries, such as the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers' Welfare, Ministry of Cooperation, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Ministry of Rural Development, and Ministry of Jal Shakti. His work primarily revolves around reporting and policy analysis. In addition to this, he authors a weekly column titled "STATE-ISTICALLY SPEAKING," which is prominently featured on The Indian Express website. In this column, he immerses readers in narratives deeply rooted in socio-economic, political, and electoral data, providing insightful perspectives on these critical aspects of governance and society. ... Read More
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Business Standard
05-06-2025
- Politics
- Business Standard
Mutual understanding among political class should continue: RSS chief
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Thursday said the mutual understanding shown by the political class following the Pahalgam terror attack and action taken by India later should continue and become a permanent feature. The society also gave a message of unity, Bhagwat said, addressing the concluding event of the Karyakarta Vikas Varg for RSS volunteers. After the heinous terror attack, people were sad and angry and wanted the culprits to be punished. Action was taken and punishment was meted out, Bhagwat said. Everyone saw the grit of our country's decision makers in the action taken after the Pahalgam terror attack, he said. Action was taken after the heinous terror attack in Pahalgam. The valour of our army shone once again in it. The firmness of the administration was also seen. The political class also showed mutual understanding. The society also gave the message of its unity. This should remain continue and be a permanent feature, he said. India should be self-dependent in matters of our security, he said. Without naming Pakistan, Bhagwat said, Those who can't win a direct fight with India want to bleed our country by the policy of a thousand cuts and waging proxy war. Tribal leader Arvind Netam, who served in the cabinets of former prime ministers Indira Gandhi and P V Narasimha Rao, was the chief guest at the concluding ceremony of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh's volunteer training camp. The 25-day training camp, Karyakarta Vikas Varg Dwitiya, in which 840 volunteers from across the country participated, began on May 12 at Dr Hedgewar Smriti Mandir located in Reshimbag area of Nagpur. Netam, who hails from Chhattisgarh, said no state government has so far taken the issue of religious conversions seriously. I think RSS is the only institution which can help us in this area, he said. The RSS should pressure Central government to come out with an action plan after Naxalism ends, to ensure that the menace does not revive, he said. Netam said no government implemented the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996. The Central government is mum and even helping the industrialists, he added. The PESA Act aims to ensure self-governance in tribal areas through Gram Sabhas, empowering them to manage resources and make decisions related to their communities.
The Hindu
21-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Polavaram project: ITDA to hold talks with representatives on compensation
The Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA-Chintoor) authorities and Polavaram Irrigation Project Land Acquisition authorities will hold talks with public representatives and members of the Panchayats Extension to Scheduled Areas (PESA) Committee of the 30 villages to discuss the Land-to-Land component and compensation guaranteed under the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2023. The Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996, applies to the tribal areas that fall in the Vth Schedule of the Constitution. In an official release issued on Wednesday, Chintoor ITDA Project Officer Apoorva Bharat said; 'The Grama Sabhas have been completed in these 30 villages that will be submerged in the Polavaram irrigation project. The second round of talks will be held with public representatives of the respective village on Thursday at the ITDA office in Chintoor, Alluri Sitarama Raju district.
The Hindu
03-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Odisha Governor expresses concern over delay in implementation of PESA, suggests task force
r Expressing concern over the delay in framing rules for the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act or PESA in the State, Odisha Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati suggested the State Government to constitute a high-level task force for effective implementation of key legislations. The Governor made the suggestion during a comprehensive review meeting of the ST & SC Development, Minorities & Backwards Classes Welfare Department on Friday (May 2, 2025.) How the PESA has boosted forest conservation in India Noting the involvement of multiple Departments in implementing PESA and the Forest Rights Act (FRA), he said a dedicated task force led by the Chief Minister will help streamline coordination, enable joint planning, and resolve implementation challenges more effectively. Expressing concern over the delay in framing the rules for PESA, the Governor asked officials to expedite the process. He also emphasised the need to convene meetings of the Tribal Advisory Council twice a year, as mandated by the Constitution. He called for the timely submission of the Department's annual report and underlined the importance of efficient fund utilisation. "If a target of 120% utilisation is set, at least 100% can realistically be achieved," he said. Rules under PESA Act to be presented before Odisha Assembly next session, assures Minister Drawing attention to infrastructure deficits in tribal regions, Mr. Kambhampati pointed out challenges in transporting equipment for mobile connectivity and stressed the need for targeted development. To better understand the situation on the ground, he said he would personally talk to project administrators to learn about the progress and problems in tribal areas.
