TIRUPATI: Andhra Pradesh has made a strong mark in the National Panchayat Awards 2026 (Special Category), with three institutions from Chittoor district achieving national recognition.
Kandulavaripalli Gram Panchayat ranked first under the Climate Action Special Panchayat Award (CASPA), Kanipakam Gram Panchayat secured second place in the Atma Nirbhar Panchayat Awards, and the District Panchayat Resource Centre (DPRC), Chittoor, won the Panchayat Kshamta Nirman Sarvottam Sansthan Puraskar (PKNSSP) for institutional capacity building.
Kandulavaripalli has emerged as a flagship example of climate-smart governance in rural India. Its achievements are rooted in strong community participation and convergence with government schemes.
The Panchayat has installed 473 solar rooftop units under the PM Surya Ghar, Muft Bijli Yojana, with an investment of Rs 5.67 crore. These generate 1.13 lakh units of electricity monthly, exporting nearly 80,000 units to the grid - 2.4 times the local consumption. This has reduced household electricity bills by up to 90% and equates to the carbon absorption of 25,000 mature trees.
Environmental stewardship is visible in the plantation of 90,000 trees, while clean energy adoption has reached 100% LED coverage and LPG connectivity for all households. Waste management is fully decentralised.
Agriculture has been transformed through 74 farms adopting drip and sprinkler irrigation systems, alongside the promotion of zero-budget natural farming. Green mobility initiatives include four e-autos and the promotion of e-cycles among students.
Kanipakam Gram Panchayat has achieved national recognition by securing the second prize in the Atma Nirbhar Panchayat Awards 2026 for the appraisal year 2024–25.
The panchayat will receive a cash award of Rs 75 lakh from the Centre.
It earned the honour for outstanding performance in mobilising Own Source Revenue (OSR), transparent governance, infrastructure development, and digital financial management.
Records show that Kanipakam generated Rs 2.61 crore in tax revenue and Rs 8.33 lakh in non-tax revenue, with toll collections contributing over Rs 2.32 crore.
The District Panchayat Resource Centre (DPRC), Chittoor, has been selected for the prestigious PKNSSP Puraskar for its exceptional contribution to strengthening Gram Panchayat governance.
Special programmes under the Women Friendly Panchayat theme empowered women representatives with leadership and governance skills.