Pathanamthitta panchayat in Limca Book of Records

PATHANAMTHITTA: A panchayat in Pathanamthitta has found a place in the Limca Book of Records for being the first panchayat to bag a National award for public administration. The Eraviperoor panchayat has achieved this through its development model giving priority to e-governance and rural development. The panchayat even provides free WiFi internet to villagers.

The 2016 edition of the Limca Book has included Eraviperoor as a model village in Kerala in the name of its former President and current Vice President Adv. N. Rajeev, the man behind the achievements. The Book points out that the panchayat is the first-ever one to receive a National award for public administration.

The then President N. Rajeev received the award from the Prime Minister in April 2015. With the priority given to e-governance, rural development at the grassroots has received a big boost, the Book says.

“We have implemented a Left developmental model which has bagged the topmost award for public administration, which had been a monopoly of the All India services. The Central Government is trying to implement this model in several other States too, which is a recognition given to the Left-oriented model of development,” Adv. N. Rajeev told DC.

The Panchayat disseminates information via SMS alerts and honorarium and staff salaries are paid online into bank accounts, the book points out. All office records have been digitized. In 2013, the panchayat rejuvenated the Varatter River, a tributary of the Pamba.

The panchayat also runs a coaching centre for civil service aspirants and yoga centre for villagers. It also runs a total waste disposal programme with the support of the sanitation mission.