Bhubaneswar: Odisha won awards in seven categories under the National Panchayat Awards. The ministry of panchayati raj awarded Odisha a prize amount of Rs 8.5 crore across these categories.
The awards were presented by President Droupadi Murmu in New Delhi on Wednesday. Rangeilunda block’s Keluapalli gram panchayat in Ganjam district was recognised as the second-best healthy panchayat in the country, with a prize of Rs 75 lakh. The Sahapur gram panchayat in Hinjilicut block received a prize of Rs 75 lakh for being the second self-reliant gram panchayat with infrastructure under the Deen Dayal Upadhyay Panchayat Satat Vikas Puraskar category.
Under the Nanaji Deshmukh Sarvottam Panchayat Satat Vikas Puraskar, Koraput district was recognised as the second best zilla parishad in the country, with a prize of Rs 3 crore. The Chatrapur block in Ganjam district received a prize of Rs 2 crore as the best panchayat samiti.
Kendrikela gram panchayat in Bonai block of Sundargarh district secured the second position in the country in the Carbon Neutral Vishesh Panchayat Puraskar category, with a prize of Rs 75 lakh. The Kashira gram panchayat secured the third position in the Gram Urja Swaraj Vishesh Panchayat Puraskar category, with a prize of Rs 50 lakh.
Additionally, under the Panchayat Kshamta Nirmaan Sarvottam Sansthan Puraskar, Odisha’s State Institute for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj was recognised as the second-best institution in the country for panchayat skill development training, receiving a prize of Rs 75 lakh.