The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved a proposal to continue the Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (RGSA), a scheme for improving the governance capabilities of Panchayati Raj institutions, till 2025-26.

What is RGSA?

• The RGSA, a centrally sponsored scheme, was first approved by the Union Cabinet in 2018 for implementation from 2018-19 to 2021-22.
• It is a unique scheme proposed to develop and strengthen the Panchayati Raj System across India in rural areas.
• The objective of the campaign is to promote social harmony, spread awareness about pro-poor initiatives of the government, and reach out to poor households to enroll them as also to obtain their feedback on various welfare programs.
• The main central components of the scheme included incentivization of panchayats and mission mode project on e-Panchayat including other activities at central level.

Scope of the scheme

• RGSA is extend to all States and Union Territories (UTs) of the country. It includes institutions of rural local government in non-Part IX areas.
• Part IX provides for a 3 tier Panchayat system, which would be constituted in every state at the village level, intermediate level and district level.
• This provision brought uniformity in the Panchayati Raj structure in India.

Purpose of extension

The scheme would work towards:

• Poverty-free and enhanced livelihood in villages
• Healthy villages, child-friendly villages
• Water-sufficient villages
• Clean and green villages
• Self-sufficient infrastructure in villages
• Socially-secure villages with good governance and engendered development

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