Odisha CM Approves ₹56.55 Crore for Panchayat Leaders’ Honorarium

Bhubaneswar: Ahead of next year’s panchayat elections, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has sanctioned ₹56.55 crore to clear six months of honorarium for sarpanches and naib sarpanches across the state.

The payment will cover the period from April 1 to September 30, 2026. Under the approved arrangement, each sarpanch will receive ₹10,000 per month, while naib sarpanches will get ₹4,000 monthly.

The decision will benefit elected representatives across Odisha’s 6,794 gram panchayats. The state government said the move would support grassroots representatives who play a key role in local administration and rural development.

The government has also been working to strengthen panchayats’ financial authority and improve transparency in the implementation of rural welfare schemes, including the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana and Jal Jeevan Mission.

The announcement comes as political parties prepare to strengthen their rural networks ahead of the upcoming local elections. BJP general secretary Biranchi Narayan Tripathy expressed confidence that his party would secure a decisive victory, citing development initiatives undertaken by the BJP-led governments at the Centre and in Odisha.

Tripathy said the focus on rural development, support for underprivileged communities and youth welfare would help the BJP perform strongly in the panchayat polls.