Levy taxes to make gram panchayats self-sufficient: Centre

Levy property tax, monetise waste management were a few suggestions made by the Modi government to gram panchayats as the Centre unveiled its key initiative to make such institutions self-sustainable.

The government, on Saturday, approved a re-structured Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (RGSA) Scheme with a total outlay during 2018-19 to 2021-22 will be of Rs 7,255 crore — of which 60% will be borne by the Centre.

This will help rural local bodies become self-sustainable, financially stable and more efficient.

“In a small village, people expect the sarpanch (village head) to waive off taxes. Levying property tax, undertaking cleanliness campaign, monetising waste disposal can be a revenue model for a gram panchayat,” Narendra Singh Tomar, rural development minister, said here.

Tomar said the revised RGSA will help more than 2.55-lakh Panchayati Raj Institutions to develop governance capabilities to deliver on sustainable development goals through inclusive local governance, with a focus on optimum utilisation of available resources.

The scheme will be extended to all states and Union Territories.

Institutions of rural local government in non-Part IX areas (where panchayats do not exist) will also be covered, an official statement said, adding that the sunset date for RGSA will be March 31, 2030.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to officially launch the revised RGSA scheme on Tuesday in Mandla, Madhya Pradesh, and also give away Panchayat Awards to mark the National Panchayati Raj Day.

Recognition for Karnataka districts

The Malangi gram panchayat in Mysuru has ranked second in the Gram Panchayat Development Award.

The Bolanthuru gram panchayat in Dakshina Kannada district has been selected for the Nanaji Deshmukh Rashtriya Gaurav Gram Sabha Puraskar for improving the social and economic structure of the village.