Himachal Pradesh Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister Anirudh Singh on Monday administered the oath of office and secrecy to the newly elected pradhans and up-pradhans of 577 gram panchayats of Mandi district at a district-level ceremony held at Paddal Ground. The event marked the formal induction of grassroots representatives who will steer local governance and development in their respective panchayats over the coming years.
Addressing the gathering, Anirudh Singh congratulated the elected representatives and called upon them to work with honesty, transparency and dedication for the welfare of the people. He emphasised that gram panchayats form the backbone of India’s democratic structure and play a vital role in ensuring development reaches every village. The minister also paid tribute to former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi for strengthening local self-governance through the 73rd Constitutional Amendment, which institutionalised the three-tier Panchayati Raj system across the country.
A major announcement made during the ceremony was the allocation of nearly Rs 3,744 crore to Panchayati Raj Institutions in Himachal Pradesh under the 16th Finance Commission for the period 2026-27 to 2030-31. Of this amount, approximately Rs 481 crore will be released during the current financial year to support various developmental initiatives.
The minister said Mandi district alone would receive around Rs 429.11 crore over the next five years, including Rs 68.89 crore during the current year. He explained that half of the funds would be provided as tied grants earmarked for drinking water and sanitation projects, while the remaining 50 per cent would be available as untied grants to address local development priorities identified by Panchayats.
Highlighting the state government’s commitment to strengthening Panchayati Raj infrastructure, Anirudh Singh said nearly Rs 113 crore had been spent over the last three years on the construction and upgradation of Panchayat buildings. He added that financial assistance for panchayat houses had been increased from Rs 33 lakh to Rs 1.14 crore, and all future buildings would be constructed according to a uniform design.
The minister also underscored the importance of digitisation in panchayat administration. He said the government was expanding online services and developing a comprehensive digital training framework for elected representatives. Training programmes are already underway, and study material has been distributed to all newly elected pradhans and up-pradhans.
To encourage consensus-based democracy at the grassroots level, the government has increased the incentive for unopposed panchayat elections from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 25 lakh. Consequently, 137 Panchayats across the state were elected unopposed in the recently concluded elections.
