Daijiworld Media Network - Gandhinagar

Gandhinagar, Apr 18: In a significant push towards strengthening rural governance, the Gujarat government has announced a hike in financial grants for constructing new, well-equipped offices for local self-government bodies, including gram, taluka, and district panchayats.

The revised policy, announced on Thursday, seeks to modernise administrative infrastructure in rural and semi-urban areas, enabling citizens to access government services more efficiently. The move targets gram panchayats that currently operate without dedicated office buildings or function from dilapidated structures.

Under the new structure, financial assistance will now be based on the population size of villages. Gram panchayats in villages with over 10,000 residents will be eligible for grants up to Rs 40 lac, up from Rs 27 lac. Those with populations between 5,000 and 10,000 will receive up to Rs 34.83 lac, while smaller villages with less than 5,000 people will get Rs 25 lac up from the previous Rs 17 lac.

The initiative also includes provisions for constructing residential quarters for Talati-cum-Ministers, aiming to ensure their regular presence in villages and improve grassroots service delivery.

Grants for taluka and district panchayat offices have also been enhanced. The assistance for taluka panchayat buildings has been increased from Rs 3.1 cr to Rs 5 cr, while for district panchayats, the unit cost has been revised from Rs 38 crore to Rs 52 cr.

According to the 2011 census, Gujarat comprises around 18,225 villages across 26 districts and 225 talukas. With districts like Panchmahal alone housing nearly 595 villages, this policy shift is expected to significantly boost local governance infrastructure across the state.