Kerala bags National Panchayat Awards in 2 categories
The Ministry of Panchayati Raj has announced the recipients of the prestigious National Panchayat Awards for the year 2022–2023. The awards recognise the exemplary efforts of Panchayati Raj Institutions across the country in driving inclusive and sustainable development at the grassroots level.
Kerala has secured two awards across two categories. The Perumpadappa Grama Panchayat in Malappuram district won the Deen Dayal Upadhyay Panchayat Satat Vikas Puraskar, achieving second place nationally for its initiatives aimed at poverty eradication and improving livelihoods.
The Kerala Institute of Local Administration (KILA) was honoured with the Panchayat Kshamata Nirman Sarvottam Sansthan Award. This recognition was bestowed for KILA’s interventions in enhancing the efficiency of local bodies, promoting skill development, and ensuring better service delivery. KILA ranked first nationally among institutions supporting local self-governance bodies.
The awards ceremony will take place on Wednesday at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi. President Droupadi Murmu will present the awards to the winners.
Kerala’s Local Self-Government Minister, MB Rajesh, congratulated both Perumpadappa Panchayat and KILA for their achievements. "This is a proud moment for the state. KILA has been instrumental in showcasing decentralised planning and local development activities as a model for the world. The government organises training programmes through KILA to modernise local self-governance institutions in line with contemporary needs," he said.
According to the minister, the national recognition highlights the capabilities of Kerala’s local self-governance system. "The awards will motivate all local self-governance institutions in the state. With the implementation of advanced facilities like K-SMART, panchayats are expected to set new benchmarks in excellence," he added.
Award categories and participation
This year, 45 winners were selected under various categories, reflecting diverse achievements in grassroots governance and community development. Categories include the Deen Dayal Upadhyay Panchayat Satat Vikas Puraskar, Nanaji Deshmukh Sarvottam Panchayat Satat Vikas Puraskar, Gram Urja Swaraj Vishesh Panchayat Puraskar, Carbon Neutral Vishesh Panchayat Puraskar, and Panchayat Kshamata Nirman Sarvottam Sansthan Puraskar. These awards recognise accomplishments in areas such as poverty reduction, health, child welfare, water sufficiency, sanitation, infrastructure development, social justice, women’s empowerment, and climate sustainability.
This year, 1.94 lakh Gram Panchayats participated in the competition. Of the 42 awardee Panchayats, 42% are led by women. The selection process involved an in-depth evaluation of Panchayats’ performance across various thematic areas aligned with the Localisation of Sustainable Development Goals (LSDGs). The assessments were conducted by five committees at block, district, state, and national levels.