4 minutes of readingPuneFebruary 3, 2026 12:10 pm IST
Written by Vaishnavi Gujar
From the quiet streets of their villages to the grandeur of the Kartavya trail, sarpanches of 16 gram panchayats from across Maharashtra traveled to New Delhi to witness the Republic Day Parade this year under an initiative of the Union Ministry of Panchayati Raj.
The delegation, appointed by the Maharashtra Rural Development Department, was invited as a special guest of the ministry and the visit was part of the Centre’s initiative to highlight grassroots governance and the role of gram panchayats in implementing flagship welfare schemes at the village level.
According to an official statement issued by the state government, representatives from the gram panchayats of Solapur, Satara, Thane, Raigad, Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg, Ahilyanagar, Jalgaon, Dhule, Dharashiv, Nanded, Chandrapur, Gadchiroli, Bhandara, Wardha and Yavatmal were selected for the event. Each representative was accompanied by their spouse, underscoring the inclusive nature of the program.
The Ministry of Panchayati Raj had invited the heads of gram panchayats from across the country due to their excellent work on the issues of poverty-free villages, women-led villages, cleanliness and water supply systems, child-friendly villages, self-reliant gram panchayat, etc.
The Maharashtra delegation was led by Amar Dhale and Sujata Adawade, nodal officers of the Panchayati Raj department. Including them, the delegation had 33 participants from Maharashtra for the Republic Day Programs.
Dhale said the sarpanches were selected through a carefully coordinated process carried out by the Panchayati Raj Department at the state level. “Each elected sarpanch was allowed to attend the Republic Day program along with his or her spouse. After receiving the complete list, we sent the names to the ministry and the nominations were approved accordingly,” he said.
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‘An emotional moment for many’
“Before the visit, we conducted multiple online briefing sessions to guide the participants about the program schedule and necessary preparations. Accommodation was arranged for all the sarpanches at Maharashtra Sadan in New Delhi, and the passes were coordinated at the state level. Witnessing the Republic Day Parade from the special venue was an emotional moment for many as it took village-level leadership to the national stage. The sarpanches expressed immense pride and gratitude, calling it an experience once in a lifetime,” Dhale added.
Returning from Delhi, Vinod Khavle, the sarpanch of Sajgaon village in Khalapur taluka of Raigad district, said his selection was a result of constant development work. “For two consecutive years, we performed well under the Vasundhara campaign and the Chief Minister’s Samruddhi Scheme. Our gram panchayat is also recognized for working for women empowerment, for Swachh Ghar Yojana, tree plantations, solar energy initiatives and for running our own nursery,” he said, while praising the arrangements in Delhi and the support they received from officials. “Seeing the Prime Minister and the President up close is an experience I will cherish forever.”
‘Experience in person what we had only seen on television’
Chandrabhaga Jadhav, sarpanch of Tondli village in Mandangad taluka, Ratnagiri, said his village has been electing its gram panchayat unopposed for more than two decades. “Since 2017, the village has entrusted me with the responsibility of sarpanch for two consecutive terms. With the support of women self-help groups, villagers, Bombay mandal and panchayat, we implemented the Chief Minister’s Samruddha Panchayat Raj Abhiyan and carried out works like vanrai bandharas (construction of check dams) and welfare initiatives,” he said.
“Being invited to Delhi and receiving this honor was a proud and unforgettable moment for a farmer’s daughter like me. Seeing the Ministry of Panchayati Raj tableau and the Ganeshotsav tableau of Maharashtra gave us immense joy. The tableaus from other states were also very beautiful. Experiencing in person what we had only seen on television till now was truly wonderful,” she added.
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Talking about Shiroli village in Yavatmal district, its sarpanch Chandrakant Ingale said their focus has been on women-led development, rainwater harvesting, health awareness and strengthening self-help groups. “Our women groups came together to start an imposing processing enterprise, which became a model of local livelihood generation. The arrangements in Delhi were smooth and well-coordinated. Watching the Republic Day Parade from such close proximity filled me with immense pride, not only as a sarpanch, but as a representative of my entire village,” Ingale said.
Vaishnavi Gujar is an intern at The indian express.