Heads of the Cheruthana and Veeyapuram grama panchayats in Alappuzha have received invitations from the Union government to attend Republic Day celebrations in New Delhi on January 26.
Both the local bodies last year bagged the National Panchayat Awards 2023 instituted by the Union Ministry of Panchayati Raj. While Cheruthana won the award for best child-friendly panchayat in the country, Veeyapuram bagged first prize under the theme self-sufficient infrastructure in panchayat. The award carried a purse of ₹1 crore each.
Cheruthana panchayat president Aby Mathew said that getting the invitation to the Republic Day programme was a proud moment for the people of the local body.