Panchayati Raj institutions are being strengthened through the Revamped Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (RGSA), a Centrally Sponsored Scheme aimed at improving capacity building, digital governance, planning, and financial management at the grassroots level. The scheme supports training, institutional strengthening, and e-governance tools for Gram Panchayats across States and Union Territories.
Capacity Building Under RGSA
RGSA supports training for elected representatives, functionaries, and other stakeholders of Panchayats. The training covers basic orientation, refresher courses, thematic modules, specialised courses, and Panchayat Development Plan training. Leadership and management development programmes are also conducted through institutes of excellence such as IIMs and IITs. A dedicated Own Source Revenue module has been developed to improve the financial self-reliance of Gram Panchayats. A specialised module for Women Elected Representatives has also been launched to strengthen inclusive local governance.
Digital Tools for Panchayat Governance
The e-Panchayat Mission Mode Project under RGSA has expanded digital governance at the local level. The eGramSwaraj platform enables digital planning, accounting, monitoring, and online payments. Its integration with the Public Financial Management System allows real-time payments to vendors and service providers. During FY 2025–26, 2,53,992 Gram Panchayats uploaded their Gram Panchayat Development Plans. More than Rs. 44,000 crore was transferred to vendors through the eGramSwaraj-PFMS interface. The SabhaSaar platform, an AI-enabled voice-to-text and meeting summarisation tool, is being used to document Gram Sabha and Panchayat meetings.
Transparency, Planning, and Monitoring
The Ministry is promoting model Citizens’ Charters for Panchayats to improve service delivery. So far, 2.15 lakh Gram Panchayats have uploaded Citizens’ Charters offering 954 services. Other applications include Meri Panchayat for public access to planning and work progress, Panchayat NIRNAY for Gram Sabha management, and AuditOnline for online audit of Panchayat accounts. The People’s Plan Campaign, also called Sabki Yojana, Sabka Vikas, is used to prepare Panchayat Development Plans every year. It supports convergence of schemes and localisation of Sustainable Development Goals at the village level. The Panchayat Advancement Index has been developed to assess progress of Gram Panchayats across multiple development themes.
Maharashtra and Implementation Review
In Maharashtra, 28,326 Panchayats have been onboarded on eGramSwaraj and 28,295 have uploaded development plans for FY 2025–26. The scheme is demand-driven, with funds released against approved Annual Action Plans. Implementation is monitored through the Training Management Portal, review meetings, field visits, and Central Empowered Committee approvals. Third-party evaluations have also been conducted to assess scheme performance.
Last Modified: April 28, 2026