Bhubaneswar: In a bid to recognise and promote excellence in rural governance, the Odisha government on Monday announced awards totaling Rs 4 crore to honor the best-performing Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) across the state.
The awards, to be distributed across the three-tier PRI system — gram panchayats, panchayat samitis, and zilla parishads — aim to reward outstanding achievements in nine key areas including MGNREGA implementation, Swachhata (Open Defecation Free status), Jal Jeevan Mission progress, good governance, online audit performance, and enhanced women’s participation.
Speaking to media persons, Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water Minister Rabi Narayan Naik detailed the prize distribution, stating that the top three zilla parishads at the state level will be awarded Rs 25 lakh, Rs 20 lakh, and Rs 15 lakh for first, second, and third places respectively.
Panchayat samitis and gram panchayats will also be rewarded with Rs 15 lakh, Rs 10 lakh, and Rs 5 lakh for their top three positions.
Additionally, the leading gram panchayats and district panchayats will receive cash prizes of Rs 3 lakh, Rs 2 lakh, and Rs 1 lakh respectively, while at the block level, best-performing panchayats will be honored with certificates.
Minister Naik emphasised that these awards are designed to incentivize grassroots-level institutions to improve service delivery and promote participatory governance, contributing to the overall development of rural Odisha.
