Parliament Question: e-Panchayat Mission Mode Project

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF PANCHAYATI RAJ LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION 373 ANSWERED ON 21.07.2026 E-PANCHAYAT MISSION MODE PROJECT 373. SHRI MALAIYARASAN D: Will the Minister of PANCHAYATI RAJ be pleased to State: (a) the present status and objectives of the e-Panchayat Mission Mode Project under the Digital India programme; (b) the total funds allocated, released and utilised during the last five years, State/UT-wise, particularly in Kallakurichi constituency of Tamil Nadu; (c) the number of Gram Panchayats covered under the project and the extent of digitization achieved in core Panchayat functions such as planning, accounting, monitoring and service delivery; (d) whether issues such as inadequate internet connectivity, capacity building gaps and interoperability with other e-governance platforms have been reported; (e) if so, the steps taken to ensure data security, transparency, and time-bound completion of pending components of the project along with the timeline for full implementation in the country; and (f) whether the Government proposes to strengthen the scheme further by integrating AI based monitoring and citizen grievance redressal systems and if so, the details thereof? ANSWER THE MINISTER OF PANCHAYATI RAJ (SHRI RAJIV RANJAN SINGH ALIAS LALAN SINGH) (a) & (c) The Ministry of Panchayati Raj is implementing the e-Panchayat Mission Mode Project (MMP) under the Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (RGSA) with the objective of strengthening transparency, efficiency, and accountability in the functioning of Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) through digital enablement across all States and Union Territories. The Ministry has developed various applications under the project, including eGramSwaraj, and AuditOnline, which are being implemented across all States to enhance transparency, accountability and efficiency in Panchayat governance. The e-Gram Swaraj and AuditOnline applications, developed under e-Panchayat Mission Mode Project (MMP), have significantly contributed to strengthening Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) by enabling end-to-end digital governance. e-GramSwaraj facilitates planning, budgeting, accounting and monitoring of Panchayat activities on a unified digital platform, thereby improving transparency, efficiency and real-time tracking of works and fund utilization. 1AuditOnline enables online auditing of Panchayat accounts, ensuring timely and standardized audit processes, improved financial discipline and enhanced accountability. Together, these platforms have helped PRIs transition towards data-driven decision-making, improved record keeping, better financial management and increased transparency in rural local governance. Further, the Ministry has also developed several other applications under the e-Panchayat MMP. The Meri Panchayat application provides citizens access to information on Panchayat planning, activities and progress of works. Panchayat NIRNAY facilitates transparent conduct and management of Gram Sabha meetings. In addition, the Ministry has introduced SabhaSaar, an AI-enabled platform for voice-to-text transcription and summarisation of Gram Sabha and Panchayat meetings to ensure accurate documentation of proceedings. As on date, during the FY 2025–26, out of a total of 2,58,730 Gram Panchayats and equivalent across the States/UTs, 2,55,251 Gram Panchayats and equivalent (98.65%), have uploaded their Gram Panchayat Development Plans (GPDPs) on e-Gram Swaraj and 2,45,839 Gram Panchayats and equivalents (95%) have made payments amounting to ₹57,337 crore through the e- GramSwaraj–PFMS interface. Further for audit period 2024-25, audit report for 2,33,743 GPs have been generated. (b) No funds are being released to the States/UTs under e-Panchayat Mission Mode Project (MMP). Under the e-Panchayat MMP, funds are being provided to National Informatics Centre Services Inc. (NICSI) for central-level support towards maintenance of e-Panchayat applications. Fund released under e-Panchayat MMP during last five years is as under. Rs. in crore Year BE RE Actuals 2021-22 20.00 11.71 11.71 2022-23 20.00 15.00 15.00 2023-24 20.00 16.28 16.03 2024-25 90.17 34.00 13.47 2025-26 20.00 20.00 20.00 (d) & (e) Yes, Sir. During the implementation of the e-Panchayat Mission Mode Project, challenges such as inadequate internet connectivity in certain rural areas, capacity building requirements of elected representatives and Panchayat functionaries, and interoperability with other e-Governance platforms have been encountered. To address these challenges, the Ministry of Panchayati Raj has undertaken several measures, including regular training and capacity-building programmes for Panchayat stakeholders, continuous enhancement of digital applications, handholding of Panchayats and integration of eGramSwaraj with Government platforms such as the Public Financial Management System (PFMS), Government e-Marketplace (GeM), BHASHINI, India Meteorological Department (IMD) and BSNL. The Ministry also undertakes periodic security audits of its applications, implements role-based access controls, secure authentication mechanisms and data backup protocols to ensure data security, transparency and reliability of the platforms. The implementation of the e-Panchayat Mission Mode Project is a continuous process undertaken in coordination with the States and Union Territories. The Ministry regularly 2upgrades the applications and introduces new functionalities based on user requirements and technological advancements. Accordingly, no specific timeline has been prescribed for completion of the project. (f) The Ministry of Panchayati Raj is committed to leveraging emerging technologies to strengthen digital governance in Panchayati Raj Institutions. With this objective, the Ministry has launched SabhaSaar, an AI-enabled platform integrated with BHASHINI to facilitate multilingual transcription, translation and summarisation of Gram Sabha proceedings, thereby enhancing transparency, accessibility and record management. The Ministry continues to explore the integration of Artificial Intelligence and other emerging technologies in the e-Panchayat ecosystem, including for improved monitoring, decision support and citizen-centric service delivery, based on functional requirements and technological feasibility. ***** 3