New Delhi, Jan 26 (PTI) Over 575 elected representatives of Panchayati Raj institutions and their spouses from across the country attended the Republic Day parade on Sunday as special guests, the Panchayati Raj ministry said.

Village sarpanches, disaster relief workers, ASHA workers and paralympic athletes were among the 10,000-odd special guests who attended the Republic Day parade.

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"On the 76th Republic Day, over 575 special guests were elected representatives of Panchayati Raj institutions and their spouses from across the country who witnessed the grand parade, symbolising the pulse of rural India," the ministry said in a statement.

"Among them, nearly 40 per cent were women participants, exemplifying the remarkable strides made towards gender-inclusive governance," the statement said.

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The Ministry of Panchayati Raj felicitated panchayat leaders, including sarpanches, gram pradhans and other panchayat representatives on the eve of Republic Day.

These special guests are state and national award winners who have done exceptional work in their gram panchayats or are instrumental in saturating 10 flagship schemes of the government, namely Har Ghar Jal Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Gramin), Mission Indradhanush, Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (Ayushman Bharat), Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Poshan Yojana, PM MUDRA Yojana, PM Vishwakarma Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana and Kisan Credit Card (KCC) Scheme.

Speaking at an event to felicitate the heads of gram panchayats on the eve of the Republic Day in New Delhi, Union Minister of Panchayati Raj Rajiv Ranjan Singh 'Lalan' said the panchayat leaders are the driving force behind rural transformation. They are responsible for seamlessly implementing flagship government schemes and fostering the spirit of participatory governance in India, he added.

Singh commended the significant leadership of women in Panchayati Raj institutions, with 132 women pradhans being among the special guests, showcasing the transformative role they play in rural governance.

Stressing upon the importance of financial empowerment, he said there has been a six-fold increase in financial allocations for panchayats over the past decade.

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