Road Map for Panchayati Raj

The national level plan for improving the functioning of PRIs is chalked out in the Roadmap for Panchayati Raj (2011-2017). It contains a series of recommendations for a wide number of issues in Panchayati Raj. It logically delineates the issues and specific action plans within the larger governance framework for creating an effective Panchayati Raj structure. It highlights key aspects for empowerment, enablement and accountability of the PRIs for better governance and faster development including devolution of functions, funds and functionaries as envisaged in the Constitution, Capacity Building of the Panchayats and Functionaries, decentralized planning, effective implementation of PESA, empowered elected village councils in the Sixth Scheduled Areas and changes in the constitutional and legal framework. This national Roadmap is enabled and assisted by the Government by the provision of funds under several schemes. The Backward Regions Grant Fund (BRGF) provides untied grants to the Panchayats in the backward regions in order to reduce development deficits of the country, with the requirement that the District Plans for utilization of the grant be prepared by the involvement of the Gram Sabhas.  The Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Yojana (RGSY) which aims at Capacity Building and Training of the Elected Representatives of Panchayati Raj Institutions as well as the Functionaries.

States have been incentivized to devolve funds, functions and functionaries (3Fs) to Panchayats.. MoPR has also supported Capacity Building and Training (CB&T) of Elected Representatives and Panchayat functionaries through its schemes Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Yojana (RGSY), Backward Regions Grant Fund (BRGF) and Panchayat Mahila Evam Yuva Shakti Abhiyan (PMEYSA). Under e-Panchayat Mission Mode Project, four applications have gone live. Six more applications have been launched in April, 2012 on the occasion of National Panchayat Day.