In lockdown 2.0, the central government has reduced the budget of Gram Swaraj Abhiyan of the panchayats of the state. This time the Center has released a total of Rs 37 crore including arrears of Rs 14 crore. The Central Government started the Gram Swaraj Abhiyan in 2018 on National Panchayat Day. Under this scheme, Panchayat representatives are given money for training, organizing workshops for capacity development, giving information about village schemes and many other tasks. This time the scissor has gone on this plan in lockdown.

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There are more than seven and a half thousand gram panchayats in the state. There are about 60 thousand representatives in them. Panchayats were to get around 65 crores. But the panchayats have got only Rs 37 crore under this campaign in total. The relief has been that the Central Government has released the arrears of about Rs 14 crore for the last financial year. In addition to this, Panchayats have received around Rs 37 crore this time.

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The delay in the formation of district planning committees is also causing loss to the panchayats. The election of district planning committees has not been done yet. The elections of these committees will now be held only after the lockdown opens. It is only on these committees that the size of the plans of the districts will remain. The election of these committees to be constituted under the chairmanship of the minister in-charge is scheduled to take at least a month. This time under the Gram Swaraj campaign, less money has been released from the centre. There is some relief from getting 14 crores outstanding.

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