ARINDAM GANGULY, OP
Bhubaneswar: Odisha is set to be honoured with awards in seven categories at the upcoming National Panchayat Awards 2024, organised by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj of the Central government. The special award ceremony will take place December 11 at Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi. The recognition is a testament to the outstanding achievements of state’s various gram panchayats, panchayat committees, and district panchayats, which have been identified as some of the best in the country.
This award underscores the state’s commitment to enhancing rural development and strengthening local governance. In the Deendayal Upadhyaya Panchayat Satat Vikas Puraskar category, Ganjam district’s Keluapalli Gram Panchayat will be awarded the Healthy Panchayat Award for its exemplary work in promoting health and wellness. The self-sufficient infrastructure in Panchayats Award will go to Sahapur Gram Panchayat, also from Ganjam district, in recognition of its remarkable strides in building and maintaining sustainable infrastructure.
In the prestigious Nanaji Deshmukh Sarvottam Panchayat Puraskar category, Ganjam district’s Chhatrapur Block Panchayat will be honoured with the best block Panchayat Award, reflecting its effective governance and development initiatives. Additionally, Koraput district will be recognised as the best district Panchayat for its impactful community-driven projects and development programmes. Odisha’s achievements extend to the Gram Urja Swaraj Vishesh Panchayat Award category, where Kasira Gram Panchayat of Sundargarh district will receive the best Gram Panchayat award for its innovative approaches to community empowerment and sustainable energy solutions. In the Carbon Neutral Vishesh Panchayat Puraskar category, Kendrikela Gram Panchayat, also from Sundargarh, will be lauded for its commitment to eco-friendly practices and carbon neutrality.
Further, Odisha’s State Institute of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj (SIRD & PR) has been selected for the Best Panchayat Institution Award. This honour highlights the institute’s excellence in capacity building and training programs for Panchayati Raj Institutions throughout the state, contributing significantly to the overall improvement of rural governance. Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water Minister Rabi Narayan Naik expressed his delight and pride in the state’s achievements. He congratulated all the award-winning Panchayati Raj Institutions, the department of Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water, and the dedicated officers and staff of the SIRD & PR. Minister Naik emphasised that such recognitions serve as an encouragement for other Panchayat bodies to strive for excellence and innovation in their operations. This series of accolades for Odisha at the National Panchayat Awards 2024 not only highlights the state’s successful rural development programs but also reinforces its role as a leader in fostering sustainable growth and effective local governance.