Bhubaneswar: Odisha has earned recognition at the National Panchayat Awards 2025, winning two prestigious honours in newly-introduced special categories. The awards will be presented Thursday during the National Panchayati Raj Day (NPRD) celebrations at Lohna Uttar Gram Panchayat in Madhubani district, Bihar.
The Hatbadra Gram Panchayat from Mayurbhanj district has been awarded the Atma Nirbhar Panchayat Special Award (ANPSA) at second rank, while the State Institute for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj (SIRD&PR), Odisha, has won the Panchayat Kshamta Nirman Sarvottam Sansthan Puraskar (PKNSSP), also at second rank. Both recognitions come with a cash prize of Rs 75 lakh each, along with a specially designed trophy and certificate of honour.
The ANPSA recognises Gram Panchayats that have excelled in promoting self-reliance through the augmentation of Own Source Revenue (OSR). Hatbadra GP’s efforts toward Atmanirbharta have placed it among the top three Gram Panchayats in the country in this category. The PKNSSP, on the other hand, acknowledges excellence in capacity building and training of Panchayati Raj representatives.
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Odisha’s SIRD&PR earned the second spot for its outstanding contribution toward strengthening local governance, particularly in line with the Localisation of Sustainable Development Goals (LSDGs). This year’s NPRD event is historic as it marks the first-ever presentation of Special Category National Panchayat Awards, instituted by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj to spotlight national priorities like climate action and self-reliant local governance. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) and Gram Sabhas across India and confer the awards at the national event.
In a notable development, three of the six award-winning Gram Panchayats, including Hatbadra from Odisha, are headed by women Sarpanches, highlighting the growing role of women in grassroots leadership.
The newly-introduced award categories include: Climate Action Special Panchayat Award (CASPA) – for environmentally proactive Panchayats, Atma Nirbhar Panchayat Special Award (ANPSA) – for Panchayats enhancing financial self-sufficiency and Panchayat Kshamta Nirman Sarvottam Sansthan Puraskar (PKNSSP) – for excellence in training and capacity building of Panchayat institutions. These awards aim to motivate Panchayats and related institutions to align more closely with national development goals and deliver measurable outcomes at the grassroots level.
