Address at the felicitation of the best ranked Panchayati Raj Institutions under the Yashwant Panchayat Raj Abhiyan

Address by Shri Ch Vidyasagar Rao, Governor of Maharashtra at the felicitation of the best ranked Panchayati Raj Institutions under the ‘Yashwant Panchayat Raj Abhiyan’ organized by the Government of Maharashtra at Yashwantrao Chavan Pratishthan Auditorium, Gen Jagannath Bhonsle Marg, Mumbai at 11.00 AM on Sunday, 20 March 2016

Smt Pankaja Gopinath Munde, Hon’ble Minister for Rural Development, Water Conservation, EGS and Women & Child Welfare, Shri Deepak Kesarkar, Hon’ble Minister of State for Rural Development and Finance, Shri Arvind Sawant, Hon’ble Member of Parliament, Shri Raj Purohit, Hon’ble Member of the State Legislature, all elected representatives, Shri V Giriraj, Principal Secretary, Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, Shri Tanaji Satre, Divisional Commissioner, Konkan Division, members and officials of Zilla Parishads, Panchayat Samitis and Gram Panchayats, family members of invitees, ladies and gentlemen…

आज आपणा सर्वांना भेटून खूप आनंद वाटला. यशवंत पंचायत राज अभियानातील सर्व अति उत्कृष्ट ग्राम पंचायती, नगर पंचायती व जिल्हा परिषदांचे मी मनःपूर्वक अभिनंदन करतो.

सर्व लोक-प्रतिनिधी व अधिकारी आणि कर्मचारी यांचे देखील मी अभिनंदन करतो.

आज येथे उपस्थित असलेल्या सर्व परिवार जनांचे देखील मी अभिनंदन करतो.

पंचायत राज संस्थामध्ये महिलांचे प्रमाण लक्षणीय वाढले आहे. ही आनंदाची बाब आहे. आज येथे अनेक महिला सदस्य आले आहेत, त्या सर्वांचे मी विशेष अभिनंदन करतो.

At the outset I pay my respects to the memory of late Shri Yashwantrao Chavan, the visionary first Chief Minister of Maharashtra in whose name the Yashwant Panchayat Raj Abhiyan has been instituted.

I congratulate the Rural Development Department for implementing the Abhiyan with commitment for the past 12 years.

I take this opportunity to convey my appreciation to the Minister for Rural Development Smt Pankaja Munde and Minister of State Shri Deepak Kesarkar for providing excellent leadership to the department.

Ladies and gentlemen,

It was the vision of Mahatma Gandhi that every village becomes a Panchayat having full powers. He dreamt of our villages becoming financially self-sustained and capable of managing their affairs.

I am happy to note that the Panchayat Raj institutions are playing a significant role in the development of Rural Maharashtra and empowerment of people. All the development schemes in the State are implemented through the Panchayat Raj bodies. I am really proud to say that Maharashtra is one of the model States in the country in terms of empowering the Panchayat Raj bodies.

Maharashtra has particularly maintained its good tradition of devolution of funds, functions and functionaries. However we need more efforts to further empower and strengthen our panchayat raj bodies.

Ladies and gentlemen,

I am an agriculturist myself, and like many of you, come from Rural India. I am therefore very happy that the Government has shifted its focus to rural development and agriculture.

The Government of India has made one of India’s largest ever allocations to the agriculture sector in the budget for 2016-17. The Hon’ble Prime Minister has declared the intention of the Government to double the income of farmers by 2022. With this in view, the agriculture sector was allocated Rs 47,912 crore in the budget, which is 84% more than 2015-16.

The father of India’s Green Revolution Dr M S Swaminathan has remarked that the dawn of a new era in farming is in sight.

The Government of Maharashtra also has dedicated its budget to the farmers, to rural development and revival of agriculture.

Needless to say, the role of the Panchayat Raj institutions will be critical in implementing the various programmes and policies of the government in respect of agriculture and rural development effectively and efficiently.

Water scarcity has come as a major set-back to the pace of rural development, particularly in some parts of the State. The drought situation in the State for the last three years should serve as a wake-up call for all of us. We will have to manage our water resources effectively and judiciously.

The Jalyukta Shivar Abhiyan initiated by the Government has the power and potential to make the State drought-free through water conservation and harvesting of rain water within the village boundaries. Through your efforts and participation of people, we can make our state Sujalaam and Sufalaam once again. I will appeal to all the Panchayat Raj institutions to make this programme a success.

I am happy to note that the State Government has initiated various programmes for strengthening the Gram Sabhas.

As Governor, I have a special responsibility towards the Scheduled Areas, and I am pleased to note that the PESA Act is being implemented in the State effectively.

At the instance of the Governor, the Government has made a provision of allocating 5 percent of TSP funds to the Gram Panchayats in the Scheduled Areas directly. This I am told has benefited 2874 Gram Panchayats in the Scheduled Areas. I wish and hope that this fund shall be utilized wisely for the development of the village.

The enactment of the Right to Services Act by the Government has mandated delivery of several essential services to people in a time bound and hassle free manner. I expect all Panchayat Raj bodies to make maximum use of technology and make Maharashtra a model State in the effective implementation of the Right to Services Act.

आपण सर्वांनी स्वच्छ भारत अभियान यशस्वी करावे असे मी आपणांस आवाहन करतो.

पुन्हा एकदा आपणा सर्वांचे मनःपूर्वक अभिनंदन करतो आणि विजेत्यांना शुभेच्छा देतो.

यशवंत ग्राम अभियान विजेत्या काही गावांना व जिल्ह्यांना मी भेट देणार आहे. त्यावेळी पुन्हा आपली भेट होईल.

जय हिंद. जय महाराष्ट्र