Agartala, May 03, 2025: Tripura Chief Minister Prof Dr. Manik Saha on Saturday announced that all Panchayats in the state have now been made disability-friendly, a significant step toward inclusive governance. The declaration was made during a state-level celebration of National Panchayat Day at Gram Swaraj Bhawan in AD Nagar, Agartala.

In a landmark move to strengthen grassroots leadership, Dr. Saha also revealed that the state government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with IIM Shillong. The agreement will facilitate leadership and management training for Panchayat officials, aiming to boost administrative efficiency and local governance.

“Tripura has made remarkable progress in grassroots governance. We have climbed from the 13th to the 7th rank in the Central Government’s Panchayat Devolution Index since 2015, which speaks volumes about our commitment to Panchayati Raj,” said CM Dr Saha.

Dr. Saha praised the state’s Panchayats for their performance, highlighting that Tripura received seven National Panchayat Awards last year. “Our Panchayats are setting national benchmarks in inclusivity and performance. We are taking continuous steps for the welfare of Divyangjans,” he noted.

Emphasising Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of rural development, the Chief Minister recalled distributing appointment letters to Panchayat executives last year to reinforce the grassroots system. “Action is better than words,” he remarked, urging Panchayat representatives to remain dedicated and inspire others.

Dr. Saha attributed the momentum in Panchayati Raj development to the Modi government post-2014 and stressed the importance of rural development, given Tripura’s largely rural population. He also highlighted infrastructure achievements, including the construction of 44 new Panchayat Bhavans, four District Panchayat Resource Centres, and eight Panchayat Learning Centres in the past two years.