The Nitish Kumar government in Bihar has launched a new initiative to fulfill Mahatma Gandhi’s dream of Gram Swaraj (village self-rule). Kumar Ravi, Secretary of the Building Construction Department, shared details of the government’s plans. He stated that the plan involves constructing 2,600 buildings, with work already underway on 2,000. The remaining 400 buildings are in the tendering process.
He explained that the scheme aims to facilitate all government functions under one roof. These buildings will serve as offices for the village heads (Mukhiyas) and the people of the panchayat. He further clarified that the Panchayat Sarkar Bhawan will function as a secretariat at the panchayat level. The Panchayat Sarkar Bhawan represents a significant step towards strengthening development in rural areas.
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has undertaken several initiatives to realize Mahatma Gandhi’s vision of Gram Swaraj. As part of this, the government envisions establishing Panchayat Sarkar Bhawans in every panchayat. Currently, the Building Construction Department has initiated the construction of these buildings in 2,600 panchayats. The department is constructing 1,187 new Panchayat Sarkar Bhawans in flood-affected areas and 1,488 in normal areas.
The Panchayat Sarkar Bhawan will be a two-story structure. During floods, these buildings will aid the panchayats in their functioning, making them accountable to the general public and ensuring transparency in their activities. The area of these Panchayat Sarkar Bhawans is 7,202 square feet for normal areas and 9,538 square feet for flood-affected areas.
The building will provide space for elected representatives and panchayat-level staff, courtrooms for the Gram Katcheri (village court), space for the preservation of records, storage facilities, halls for meetings of panchayat/standing committees, a reception area for citizens, residential quarters for important personnel, service centers, a post office, and several other amenities.
