Coimbatore district has been selected as the best district panchayat under the Nanaji Deshmukh Panchayat Vikas Puraskar, one of the awards presented by the Union government to recognise high-performing panchayats.
The awards honour achievements in areas such as poverty alleviation, sanitation, child and women welfare, water self-sufficiency, cleanliness and greenery, infrastructure development, social justice and social security. For 2025, a total of 42 awards have been announced.
The award ceremony is scheduled to be held at Bharat Mandapam in Delhi on June 3 and 4. Coimbatore District Panchayat Special Officer Sangeeth Balwant Waghe is set to attend and receive the award.
Officials said 29 Rural Development Department officers from districts including Chennai, Coimbatore, Tiruppur, Tirunelveli, Madurai, Vellore, Ranipet, Tiruchi, Cuddalore, Nilgiris and Chengalpattu will participate. In addition, 26 local body representatives from districts including Tenkasi, Chengalpattu, Tirunelveli, Villupuram, Vellore, Kallakurichi, Kancheepuram, Ranipet and Tirupathur will attend as observers.
The 55-member group is expected to travel by air, stay in hotels and attend the event using Rural Development Department scheme funds. The scale of the trip has drawn attention amid Union government calls to curb expenditure due to economic pressures.
