State will become stronger only when panchayats are empowered: Rajasthan CM

Jaipur, Jan 17 (PTI) Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma on Saturday said that the path of development passes through villages and the state will become stronger only when panchayats are empowered.

The Rajasthan government is empowering villages in line with the spirit of "Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas", he said.

While interacting with panchayat administrators, who are former sarpanches of gram panchayats, Sharma said, the government is empowering villages in line with the spirit of "Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas".

He said sarpanches are the voice of villages and gram panchayats form the first rung of governance.

"The state will become stronger only when panchayats are empowered, as the path of development passes through villages," he said.

Stating that a sarpanch is not just a post but a medium of service and commitment, Sharma said villagers first approach the sarpanch with their hopes for benefits under welfare schemes and for basic needs such as farmer assistance, pensions, MSP, drinking water, electricity, housing, toilets, roads, schools, anganwadis and health centres.

He said sarpanches are best placed to assess how effectively government decisions and schemes are reaching the grassroots, making their feedback crucial.

Sharma said the government is strengthening gram panchayats to establish a corruption-free, transparent and accountable Panchayati Raj system.

New zila parishads have been constituted in the eight newly created districts. As part of the reorganisation and creation of Panchayati Raj institutions, 85 new panchayat samitis and 3,417 new gram panchayats have been formed, he said.

He added that even after the completion of the tenure of gram panchayats, sarpanches have been appointed as administrators so that villages continue to benefit from their experience. PTI AG APL APL