India, July 21 -- The Government of India has issued a release:
S.No.
State Name
Total PESA Panchayat
Total Villages
Approved PESA Main Plan
1
Andhra Pradesh
609
1613
609
2
Chhattisgarh
5552
9891
5532
3
Gujarat
2889
4701
2755
4
Himachal Pradesh
178
1533
164
5
Jharkhand
2066
17240
2066
6
Madhya Pradesh
5197
7710
5173
7
Maharashtra
2918
4317
2907
8
Odisha
1390
11668
1390
9
Rajasthan
1608
5690
1604
10
Telangana
1314
1321
1314
Total
23,721
65,684
23,514
The Parliament enacted the Provisions of the Panchayats (Extension to the Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996 (PESA) under Article 243M(4)(b) of the Constitution to extend the provisions of Part IX of the Constitution to the Fifth Schedule Areas with certain exceptions and modifications. Panchayats, being "Local Government", are a State subject and operate through the respective State Panchayati Raj Acts. Accordingly, implementation of PESA, including the adoption and utilisation of digital governance applications such as eGramSwaraj and AuditOnline in Scheduled Areas, falls within the purview of the respective State Governments.
The Ministry of Panchayati Raj facilitates digital governance through the e-Panchayat Mission Mode Project (MMP), including eGramSwaraj and AuditOnline, and periodically reviews their implementation with the States through review meetings and other monitoring mechanisms. The Ministry has also developed 10 PESA Indicators to facilitate assessment of PESA implementation by the States, one of which relates to the uploading of Gram Panchayat Development Plans (GPDPs) of PESA Gram Sabhas on the eGramSwaraj portal.
The State-wise details of utilisation of eGramSwaraj/ status of GPDP uploads in PESA areas, are placed below.
The Ministry of Panchayati Raj has initiated Gram Panchayat Development Plan (GPDP) integration of PESA within the GPDP framework to enable the preparation of PESA-specific Village Development Plans. A dedicated PESA-GPDP Portal has been launched by the Ministry to facilitate the preparation, implementation, and monitoring of Gram Panchayat Development Plans (GPDPs) in Scheduled Areas under the provisions of the PESA Act.
Further, in Plan Year 2026-27, PESA has been included as a separate theme in eGramSwaraj Portal with 42 activities. It has also been made mandatory for Gram Sabhas in Fifth Schedule Areas to take up at least one activity under PESA theme while preparing their GPDP plan.
In certain rural and tribal areas, challenges such as inadequate digital infrastructure, intermittent internet connectivity, and limited technical capacity have been experienced, affecting the adoption of digital governance applications. To address these challenges, the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, in coordination with the State Governments, provides continuous technical support, undertakes periodic reviews of the implementation of the e-Panchayat applications, and upgrades the applications based on feedback received from the stakeholders. Further, internet connectivity to Gram Panchayats is being strengthened through the BharatNet project being implemented by the Department of Telecommunications to provide broadband connectivity to Gram Panchayats across the country.
Panchayat, being "Local Self Government", is a State subject and part of the State list of the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution of India. However, the Ministry of Panchayati Raj is implementing the Centrally Sponsored Scheme of revamped Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (RGSA) since the financial year 2022-23 in States/ UTs, including tribal/PESA areas with the objectives to strengthen the capacity of Panchayati Raj institutions (PRIs) by imparting training to Elected Representatives (ERs), Panchayat Functionaries and other stakeholders to develop their governance capabilities for leadership roles, enabling the Gram Panchayats to function effectively across all States/UTs.
Under the scheme, the Ministry provides support for Capacity Building & Training (CB&T) of Panchayat representatives and Officials in different categories, including various digital trainings as per the priority of the States/UTs. Since, 2022-23 to 2026-27 (as on 10.07.2026), 1,87,238 Panchayat representatives and officials have been trained in PESA States to strengthen digital governance and other digital platforms.
This information was given by Union Minister Shri Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh in a written reply in Lok Sabha on 21st July 2026.
Disclaimer: Curated by HT Syndication.
