Gandhinagar, Feb 28 (IANS) The Gujarat government has reaffirmed its commitment to promoting crime-free and socially progressive villages, with state Panchayat Minister Sanjaysinh Mahida informing the state Assembly that 17 villages were selected under the ‘Tirthgam’ and ‘Pavangam’ schemes over the past two financial years.

Replying to a question during the ongoing session of the Gujarat Legislative Assembly on Saturday, Mahida outlined key features of the schemes, which aim to encourage communal harmony, resolve disputes locally and ensure holistic rural development.

He said the state government, under the guidance of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, remained “always committed to ensuring that rural citizens receive direct benefits of various schemes of the Panchayat Department”.

Explaining the criteria, the Minister said a village in which no crime other than accidents had been registered during the previous five years was declared a ‘Tirthgam’. Villages with no crime other than accidents for the past three years were selected as ‘Pavangam’.

In addition to maintaining a clean crime record, villages must comply with specific social benchmarks, including eradication of untouchability, 100 per cent school enrolment, maintenance of cleanliness and adherence to prohibition norms.

“The scheme has been implemented with the noble objective of fostering mutual harmony in rural areas, ensuring that disputes are resolved within the village itself and enabling comprehensive development,” Mahida told the House.

He also referred to the 2012 amendment to the scheme, under which general category villages are required to secure a minimum of 70 marks out of 100 to qualify for benefits, while tribal villages must obtain at least 60 marks.

Providing district-level data, Mahida said that in the Rajkot district, six villages were selected under the schemes in the financial year 2023-24, while 11 villages were chosen in 2024-25.

The Minister said the government would continue to ensure that eligible villages benefit directly from the Panchayat Department’s initiatives.

–IANS

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