Gujarat govt raises grant to Rs 40 lakh for panchayat offices with 10,000+ village population

The initiative aims to modernise administrative infrastructure across rural and semi-urban areas, ensuring that citizens have improved access to public services and local governance.

Under the new policy announced on Thursday, the state government will offer higher financial assistance to gram panchayats that currently lack a panchayat ghar or have office buildings in a dilapidated condition.

The revised grants are categorised based on village population.

Villages with population of 10,000 or more will now be eligible for a maximum grant of Rs 40 lakh, up from the previous Rs 27 lakh.

Villages with population between 5,000 and 10,000 will receive up to Rs 34.83 lakh, instead of the earlier Rs 22 lakh, while those with population under 5,000 will now be eligible for Rs 25 lakh in assistance, a considerable jump from the previous limit of Rs 17 lakh.

In addition to constructing new panchayat ghars, the government has also introduced a provision for building residential quarters for Talati-cum-Ministers.

This move is intended to ensure the regular presence of Talatis in the villages, thereby improving service delivery and making governance more accessible at the grassroots level.

The grants for taluka panchayat offices have also seen a notable increase.

Previously capped at Rs 3.1 crore, the state government will now provide up to Rs 5 crore or the actual construction cost, whichever is lower.

Likewise, for district panchayat offices, the unit cost has been raised from Rs 38 crore to Rs 52 crore, again limited to the lesser of actual expenses or the newly set cap.

As per the 2011 Census of India, Gujarat comprises nearly 18,225 villages spread across its 26 districts and 225 talukas.

These villages are integral to the state's administrative framework, each falling under the jurisdiction of gram panchayats, which serve as the foundational units of local self-governance.

The distribution of these villages varies by district; for instance, Panchmahal district alone encompasses 595 villages.