On Panchayati Raj Day, PM Modi to address from a village in poll-bound Bihar

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will on April 24 address the nation on National Panchayati Raj Day from a village panchayat in Bihar, highlighting the importance of local self-governance and its potential to reverse distress migration, people familiar with the development said.

Officials from the ministry of panchayati raj (MoPR) said that, for the first time, a national-level function will be held from a village, Lohna Uttar Gram Panchayat in Jhanjharpur Block of Madhubani district in Bihar, a state that will go to polls later this year.

PM Modi will also distribute the National Panchayat Awards 2025 – nominated by states and finalised by the ministry – at the event. The awards focus on key national priorities including ‘atmanirbharta’ (self-reliance) through augmentation of own-source revenue (OSR), capacity building and training of Panchayati Raj representatives and functionaries, and climate action.

“In a first-of-its-kind gesture, PM Modi will address the nation directly from a venue within a gram panchayat jurisdiction. The PM will also speak on how panchayats can reverse distress migration if they start functioning effectively, especially by generating their OSR initiatives,” an MoPR official told HT.

The National Panchayati Raj Award was instituted to incentivise the best-performing Panchayati Raj institutions. It was revamped in 2022 after the ministry localised the 17 sustainable development goals into nine broad themes, including poverty reduction, education, health, among others.

Officials from MoPR said the Prime Minister is also expected to speak about SVAMITVA (Survey of Villages and Mapping with Improvised Technology in Village Areas), an initiative to provide property cards to individuals in rural inhabited areas, serving as legal documents. PM Modi had earlier emphasised how the scheme has unlocked the potential for economic activities to the tune of ₹100 lakh crore.

The Prime Minister’s visit assumes significance as Bihar’s current legislative assembly tenure expires in October this year. Madhubani district, part of the larger Mithilanchal, has 10 assembly constituencies, of which the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) had won eight seats in the last assembly elections. The NDA also dominates in neighbouring Darbhanga district, having won nine out of 10 seats in the last assembly election.