Nat’l Panchayat Awards: State scores a hat-trick

Bhubaneswar: Odisha Thursday clinched the prestigious National Panchayat Award for the third consecutive year, showcasing its commitment to grassroots democracy and inclusive development, said an official. The National Panchayati Raj Day celebrated in Madhubani of Bihar witnessed Prime Minister Narendra Modi conferring awards to the winning Gram Panchayats (GPs) and other institutions, with Odisha continuing its legacy of excellence for the third time in a row. In addition to this remarkable achievement, the State Institute for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj (SIRD&PR) secured the Second Prize in the category of ‘Panchayat Kshamata Nirman Sarbottam Sansthan Puraskar’. This accolade recognises SIRD&PR’s exceptional efforts in capacity building, mentoring, and providing handholding support to Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) across the state, the official added. Similarly, Hatbhadra GP of Kusumi block in Mayurbhanj district was awarded the Second Best Gram Panchayat under ‘Atmanirbhar Gram Panchayat’ category.

This award celebrates Hatbhadra panchayat’s impressive achievement in enhancing its own source of revenue (OSR), fostering financial self-sufficiency, and embracing sustainable development practices at grassroots level. These accomplishments have been made possible through the visionary leadership of Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, the proactive guidance of Minister for Panchayati Raj & Drinking Water, Rabi Narayan Naik, and the unwavering support of the Panchayati Raj & Drinking Water department. Naik expressed his pride in the state’s achievement, stating, “This national recognition for the third time in a row is a matter of immense pride for Odisha.

I sincerely thank all the PRI members, officials, and the entire SIRD&PR team for their tireless efforts. It reflects our collective vision for empowered and self-reliant GPs.” Echoing the sentiments, SIRD&PR Director Surendra Kumar Meena said, “Our commitment to empowering Panchayats through capacity building, digital innovation, and guided mentorship is yielding transformative results. This achievement is dedicated to every PRI member, official, and village community who made it possible.

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