Panchayat representatives have a major role in building an Atmanirbhar Bharat. It is essential for the villages to develop in order to achieve all-round development of the nation, said chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat.

He said this while interacting with Panchayat representatives online through the virtual class system at Rajiv Gandhi Navodaya Vidyalaya here on Monday.

Rawat said that at a time when the whole world is facing the Covid-19 pandemic, Panchayat representatives have played the role of a warrior.

Stating that the role of public representatives has increased further during the pandemic, he said that the fight against Covid may last long and considering this special focus will have to be laid on vigilance and awareness.

Referring to Bharat Net phase- 2, Rawat said that under this project 5,991 Gram Panchayats in 65 blocks of 12 districts of Uttarakhand (Haridwar done in the past) will be provided internet connection. The centre has approved about Rs 2,000 crore for this purpose. This will enable internet connection in all the Gram Panchayats in the state which in turn will start a new era of development, said the CM.

He further exhorted the Panchayat representatives to work swiftly towards achieving Prime Minister Narendra modi’s vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat by transforming challenges into opportunities. To achieve this the PM has recently announced a special package of Rs 20 lakh crore.

Stressing on the need for encouraging Swadeshi products, he said that the nation is swiftly moving towards self reliance with India already making enough PPE kits and N 95 masks to not only meet the domestic requirements but also to export to countries in need. Rawat also informed the Panchayat representatives about various aspects of the Mukhyamantri Swarozgar Yojana.

Along with the Panchayat representatives, the Panchayati Raj minister Arvind Pandey, Education secretary R Meenakshi Sundaram and Panchayati Raj director HC Semwal were also present on the occasion.