HYDERABAD: Congress MP Dr Mallu Ravi on Tuesday urged the Union government to restore funding for the National Institute of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj (NIRDPR), Hyderabad.
In a series of letters to Union ministers and Ministers of State for Panchayati Raj and Rural Development, including Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Rajiv Ranjan Singh, Kamlesh Paswan, and Pemmasani Chandrasekhar, the parliamentarian from Nagarkurnool sought immediate action to reverse a significant budget cut that threatens the very institution’s survival.
In his letters, Ravi said that the Union Budget 2025–26 has slashed NIRDPR’s funding to a mere Rs 1 lakh, raising alarm among the institute’s employees, academics and policymakers. He added that the funding cut puts the future of NIRDPR — an institution that has been integral to India’s rural development initiatives for over 65 years — in jeopardy.
The MP underscored that the NIRDPR plays a crucial role in rural development policymaking, capacity building, and training Panchayati Raj institutions across the country.
Ravi emphasised that NIRDPR has been instrumental in providing training to thousands of rural development officers and panchayat functionaries. He said it has also collaborated with international organisations such as the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), World Bank, and Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) to promote sustainable rural development.
Highlighting the potential impact on the employees and their families, Ravi appealed to the Union government to restore full financial support and ensure NIRDPR continues its operations from its well-equipped Hyderabad campus.