Patna: Bihar BJP president Sanjay Saraogi on Monday stressed the need to empowering panchayats to accelerate rural development and build self-reliant villages, saying empowered local bodies were key to creating opportunities for youth and deepening grassroots democracy.Addressing the concluding session of ‘Gram Sansad: Bihar Chapter-V’ in Patna, Saraogi said the pace of Bihar’s development would depend on the progress of its villages. He urged panchayat representatives to identify local priorities and make effective use of available resources.The programme was chaired by Dr C P Thakur and MLC Sanjay Mayukh.Saraogi said panchayats would play a crucial role in achieving Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of ‘Viksit Bharat@2047’, as national development was rooted in village-level progress.Highlighting steps being taken by the state govt, he said the process of panchayat delimitation had begun and the next panchayat elections would be held after its completion. Delimitation of urban local bodies is also planned next year.He also announced that an engineering cell would be set up in the panchayati raj department to provide technical support for development projects. Emphasising the need to improve rural infrastructure, Saraogi called for greater focus on roads, electricity, drinking water supply and waste management systems in villages.
