Agartala, June 6:
Tripura has secured three National Panchayat Awards 2025, further strengthening its reputation as one of the country’s leading performers in grassroots governance and rural development.
Addressing a press conference at the Civil Secretariat on Saturday, Panchayat Minister Kishore Barman said the awards, conferred by the Union Ministry of Panchayati Raj in New Delhi on June 3, were a recognition of the state’s sustained efforts in promoting transparent, accountable and participatory local governance.
Sepahijala Zilla Parishad won the first prize in the Best District Panchayat category under the Nanaji Deshmukh Sarvottam Panchayat Satat Vikas Puraskar and received ₹5 crore.
Kanchanbari Gram Panchayat in Unakoti district secured first place in the Healthy Panchayat category under the Deendayal Upadhyay Panchayat Satat Vikas Puraskar with a cash award of ₹1 crore, while Baikhora Gram Panchayat in West Tripura district won third place in the Women-Friendly Panchayat category and received ₹25 lakh.
The Minister said the National Panchayat Awards, revamped in 2022, are linked to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals through Panchayati Raj Institutions.
Panchayats are evaluated under nine themes, including poverty alleviation, health, child welfare, water sufficiency, environmental sustainability, infrastructure, social justice, good governance and women empowerment.
Barman said the awards are entirely performance and evidence based, with assessment carried out through the Panchayat Advancement Index (PAI), a data-driven framework that evaluates governance, service delivery and developmental outcomes across nearly 2.5 lakh panchayats in the country.
Highlighting Tripura’s broader achievements, he said nearly 80 per cent of the state’s panchayats have been placed in the ‘Front Runner’ category under the latest PAI assessment, while Jugal Kishore Nagar Village Committee in Sepahijala district secured the top rank among all panchayats in the country.
The Minister attributed the success to the collective efforts of elected representatives, Panchayat Department officials, district and block administrations and local communities.
He said the award money would be utilized for development works in the respective panchayat areas, further strengthening rural infrastructure and public service delivery.
Out of 42 Panchayats selected nationwide for the National Panchayat Awards, 34 Gram Panchayats from 17 States and Union Territories were honoured under the Deen Dayal Upadhyay Panchayat Satat Vikas Puraskar (DDUPSVP) for excellence across nine Sustainable Development Goal-linked themes, including health, livelihoods, governance, environmental sustainability and women empowerment.
The remaining eight awards were conferred under the Nanaji Deshmukh Sarvottam Panchayat Satat Vikas Puraskar (NDSPSVP) to the best-performing Panchayats overall, comprising three District Panchayats, two Block Panchayats and three Gram Panchayats. Award-winning Panchayats received financial incentives ranging from ₹50 lakh to ₹5 crore, depending on the category and rank.
