SM Vijayanand
Additional secretary, Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India
Panchayatiraj has improved delivery of essential public services. It has helped in transforming old model of public delivery essentials. In Kerala, delivery of services like sanitation, drinking water and education has improved a lot due to panchayats. It helped in poverty reduction.
Government of India now directly works with panchayats in key rural development programmes. We are now piloting National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM) program in Maharastra, West Bengal, Sikkim, Odisha, Himachal Pradesh and Jharkhand with help of Panchayats and Self-help Groups (SHGs). The ultimate gain from panchayatiraj is steady empowerment of women.
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