New Delhi: On Panchayati Raj Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacted with Sarpanchs from across the country through video conferencing.  Union Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development Narendra Singh Tomar was present at the meeting and emphasised that development of rural India is very important for Prime Minister Modi. He also said that the financial package for the rural sector was increased by three times.


Today in the video conference, the Prime Minister discussed some important issues that have been affecting the villages and launched two important projects to ease the work of gram panchayats. Some key highlights from the meeting include-

  • The Prime Minister discussed the importance of the Panchayati Raj system which was created to decentralize democracy and make it reach even at the grassroots level.

  • Coronavirus has created new challenges for us, but the pandemic has also taught us a new lesson and that is the need to become self-reliant. The present situation has constantly reiterated its importance and strong panchayats are key in this regard.

  • He also talked about the work done to modernize villages and panchayats. He said that today 1.25 lakh panchayats have broadband connectivity. Production of low-cost Mobile in India has also ensured better mobile connectivity even in rural areas. The number of common service centers in villages is also crossing three lakhs.


Also Watch: PM Modi's Full Address



  • E-GramSwaraj portal and App was inaugurated during the conference. The App is available in the Google Play store. The PM said that this portal will be a single interface that will give access to all the information regarding the gram panchayat and their work. Anyone can access it to get to know about the funds that have been allocated, budgets for each project, etc. The portal will help in digitization of panchayat work, improve record-keeping, and allow more transparency. Village residents can also download the app or even through the website track development work in their area. It will also help in connecting the panchayats from across the country.

  • The Prime Minister also launched the Swamitva Yojna through which digital mapping of rural areas and issues regarding land and property in villages will be resolved. Drones will be utilized to demarcate boundaries and title deeds will be given to property owners. It will make it easier for people from villages to apply for loans from banks. At present, work has begun in six regions Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, and Uttarakhand. The PM said that after accessing and resolving the bottlenecks that may be faced in the initial phases it will be applied throughout the country.

  • PM Modi saluted the great work done by every village, farmers, and workers in the rural areas. He said that villages in India have given the mantra of - 'Do gaj doori ' to define social distancing to fight coronavirus pandemic. This mantra has worked immensely and has been successful in preventing infection from the virus.

  • The whole world is talking about how India is bravely fighting the battle with the virus. We may be facing new difficulties, but we are still moving ahead constantly innovating to make the situation better for everyone.