Question : Infrastructure Facilities to the Panchayats in Bihar

(a) whether it is a fact that the Government is implementing various schemes to provide adequate infrastructure facilities to the Panchayats in Bihar especially in district Gopalganj;
(b) if so, the details thereof;
(c) whether the Government proposes to provide computer with network connectivity in all districts of Bihar for adequate functioning of panchayats;
(d) if so, the details thereof; and
(e) the steps taken to digitize district and village panchayats for greater devolution of powers to panchayats?

THE MINISTER OF PANCHAYATI RAJ
(SHRI NARENDRA SINGH TOMAR)

(a) to (d) Panchayat being a State subject, providing infrastructure facilities to Gram Panchayat (GPs) is primarily the responsibility of concerned State Government. However, under the restructured scheme of Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (RGSA) being implemented w.e.f. 2018-19, this Ministry has been supplementing the efforts of State governments in this regard by providing financial support to States including Bihar for certain infrastructural facilities such as Gram Panchayat Bhawans, computers and peripherals for GPs on a limited scale.

The details of no. of GPs for which computers approved under Annual Action Plan of RGSA since 2018-19 to 2020-21 to the State of Bihar is as under:

2018-19 2019-20 2020-21
352 531 531

(e) Towards steps taken to digitize district and village panchayats, the Ministry of Panchayati Raj (MoPR) is implementing e-GramSwaraj and other e-Governance Applications under e-Panchayat Mission Mode Project (MMP) which address planning, budgeting, implementation, accounting, monitoring, social audit and delivery of citizen services like issue of certificates, licences, etc. thereby improving transparency, accountability and governance at Panchayat level and are listed at Annexure. These applications are available to all the Gram Panchayats. The State legislatures are to consider the 29 Subjects illustratively set out in the Eleventh Schedule for devolution to the Panchayats.

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