Patna: Eleven panchayat representatives from Bihar will be special guests at India’s Republic Day parade on Kartavya Path in New Delhi, marking a moment of national recognition for grassroots governance in the state. The invitation comes as part of the 77th Republic Day celebrations and reflects what officials describe as strong local performance on development indicators.
The representatives were selected by the Bihar Panchayati Raj Department for their work on Localised Sustainable Development Goals (LSDGs), a framework aligned with the United Nations’ SDGs but tailored to village-level needs. A 25-member delegation, including the representatives, their spouses and departmental officials, has already reached the capital to take part in the national programme.
Five of the 11 selected representatives are women, a detail the state government has highlighted as evidence of the expanding role of women in local leadership. According to officials, women-led gram panchayats have been instrumental in pushing forward initiatives related to health, education, sanitation and livelihoods. During their visit, the delegation will also tour the Prime Ministers’ Museum, organised by the Union ministry of panchayati raj.
Speaking on the occasion, Bihar’s Panchayati Raj Minister, Deepak Prakash, said the state’s panchayats were choosing development priorities based on local needs from among nine LSDGs proposed by the central government. He credited Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s policies for enabling women to lead more than half of Bihar’s gram panchayats, adding that such leadership was now gaining national recognition. Calling the selection an example of women’s empowerment, the minister said the state remained committed to building the capacity of local representatives and hoped their work would earn recognition beyond India.
