National Panchayati Raj Diwas-24 April

24 April-National-Panchayati-Raj-Diwas

The National Panchayati Raj Diwas was observed across India on 24 April 2017. The day is observed every year to mark the passing of the Constitution (73rd Amendment) Act, 1992, which came into

effect on 24 April 1993. The day would be commemorated (स्मरणोत्सव) with a function in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. The function would be inaugurated by the UP CM Yogi Adityanath and presided (अध्यक्षता में) over by Birender Singh, the Union Minister for Rural Development, Panchayati Raj and Drinking water.

Background

• The act helped in decentralization (विकेंद्रीकरण) of political power to the grassroots level.

• It led to the institutionalisation of Panchayati Raj (PR) through the village, Intermediate and District level Panchayats.

• The Union Minister of Panchayati Raj organises a National Conference every year to commemorate the day.

• On the occasion, the best performing Gram Panchayats across the country are conferred with Rashtriya Gaurav Gram Sabha Purskar by the Union Ministry of Panchayati Raj.

This year’s event will see the following launches:

• The Ministry of Panchayati Raj would be launching their own You-Tube channel, which will feature short films on Best Practices and schemes of Government of India.

• Audio-visual capacity building content for Panchayati Raj Institutions would also be shared through smart phones to the elected members of Panchayats.

• A quarterly magazine titled ‘Gramoday Sankalp’, which is published and distributed by Ministry of Panchayati Raj on behalf of the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, Rural Development and Drinking Water and Sanitation, will also be released on the occasion(अवसर).

• The magazine would be launched in English, Hindi and several other regional languages and is expected to act as a medium of direct communication between the Policy makers and Gram Panchayats.

• The Panchayati Raj Institutions would be able to access the same online through their mobile phones.

Besides this, national awards including Deendayal Upadhyay Panchayat Sashaktikaran Puraskar, Nanaji Deshmukh Rashtriya Gaurav Gram Sabha Puraskar would be conferred(प्रदत्त)  upon Panchayati Raj Institutions and e-Panchayat Puraskars to the State Governments.