Bhopal: In a bid to strengthen Panchayati Raj system in the country, Central government will enhance training programmes for the panchayat representatives said Union minister for Panchayati Raj Narendra Tomar. He was addressing a conference of Panchayati Raj ministers in Bhopal on Tuesday.The Centre will run the training through National Institute of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj (NIRD&PR) and state governments through their rural development institutes, he said.The Centre has also successfully formulated Gram Panchayat Development Plan for planned development of villages, he said.Ministry has taken new initiatives to decentralise governance and successfully released grants directly to gram panchayats during 2015-20 as per the allocations made by the 14th Finance Commission (FFC) which is more than three-times the grant of the 13th Finance Commission.Highlighting promotional schemes for the uplift of the weaker sections of society and women, Tomar said, the ministry has also initiated Gramoday Se Bharat Uday Abhiyan for strengthening of local self-government. It also stressed expansion of access to Panchayati Raj institutions and rural masses using technology, launch of quarterly news magazine "Gramoday Sankalp" for direct communication with the rural masses, information dissemination on excellent work done in different Panchayats across the country and information of various government schemes through audio-visual films available over YouTube channel of the Ministry, he said."This is the right time to transform village panchayats into `Smart Panchayat' and villages into `Smart Village' through innovative training programmes and e-governance. The government will support the Panchayats for e-Panchayat for efficient and transparent functioning," said the minister.Replying to a query on ministers' demand for more power and finance, Tomar said the conference is being held to discuss all such related issues. He said, in the face of the current challenges, scope for co-operation is very high and mutually advantageous which were discussed in detail during the day-long deliberations.Appreciating the initiatives, chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said that the conference would help strengthen the Panchayati Raj system. Madhya Pradesh has also initiated Gramoday campaign to involve Panchayat representatives in the development of rural areas and would take suggestions from the conference to redress the problems of Gram Panchayats through dialogues.On the occasion, UNICEF released the Training Handbook on Sustainable Development and Millennium Development Goals and book published for the training of trainers with the support of Panchayati Raj Ministry. Sarpanchs of 15 panchayats were also felicitated for excellent work in different areas of development.Among the prominent participants included Union minister of state for Panchayati Raj Purushottam Rupala, state's panchayat and rural development minister Gopal Bhargava, MoS for cooperatives Vishwas Sarang and panchayat ministers from various states were also present.

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