Dikhyaa Mohanty 
The Odisha government awarded prizes worth Rs 4 crore on Monday to recognize and encourage excellence in rural governance by recognizing the state’s top-performing Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs). The awards, which will be given to gram panchayats, panchayat samitis, and zilla parishads in the three-tier PRI system, are intended to recognize exceptional accomplishments in nine crucial areas, such as the implementation of MGNREGA, Swachhata (Open Defecation Free status), the advancement of the Jal Jeevan Mission, good governance, online audit performance, and increased participation of women.
The top three zilla parishads at the state level will receive Rs 25 lakh, Rs 20 lakh, and Rs 15 lakh for first, second, and third place, respectively, according to Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water Minister Rabi Narayan Naik, who spoke to journalists about the prize distribution. For their top three places, gram panchayats and panchayat samitis would also receive rewards of Rs 5 lakh, Rs 10 lakh, and Rs 15 lakh.
Furthermore, top-performing panchayats at the block level will be recognized with awards, and the top gram panchayats and district panchayats will each get cash rewards of Rs 3 lakh, Rs 2 lakh, and Rs 1 lakh. Minister Naik emphasized that the purpose of these prizes is to encourage grassroots organizations to enhance service delivery and encourage participatory government, hence advancing rural Odisha’s overall development.
