Nagaland, other Northeast states to get over 1600 Panchayat Bhawans

DIMAPUR — In a move set to bolster rural development in Nagaland and across the Northeast, the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) has approved the construction of 1,633 Panchayat Bhawans and 514 Common Service Centres (CSCs) in the region.

This decision was announced by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj (MoPR) on Tuesday, following a meeting focused on investing in Panchayat infrastructure, particularly within border villages.

While the exact number allocated to Nagaland remains unspecified, the MoPR stated that a decision has been taken for construction of 400 Panchayat Bhawans-cum-CSCs in Arunachal Pradesh, continuing its ongoing support for Panchayat infrastructure in the northeast.

Similar infrastructure projects will be supported in other states including Mizoram, Meghalaya, Assam, and Manipur, where the ministry has previously supported the construction of 939 Panchayat Bhawans with co-located CSCs, it said.

The ministry stated that the decision is part of a broader push to empower Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) across the country. Further, it announced the approval of funding for long-term domestic training programmes for PRI officials in states and union territories.

These programmes, funded under the Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (RGSA) scheme, will equip officials with advanced skills in areas like spatial planning, resource mobilisation, and disaster management. The programme aims to equip officials with comprehensive knowledge essential for rural development in diverse geographical contexts, it said.

The northeast and hilly states can sponsor ten candidates each for higher learning, UTs and Goa up to five applicants each while other States can sponsor up to 20 candidates each, it added.

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