District Collector Sumit Kumar addressing the media in Chittoor on Saturday.
| Photo Credit: BY ARRANGEMENT
District Collector Sumit Kumar announced on Saturday (May 16, 2026) that three Panchayats from the district have received National-level recognition under key Central government award schemes.Speaking to the media, the Collector said that the achievement reflected the district’s strong performance in grassroots governance, capacity building, and sustainable rural development initiatives.Kuppam mandal secured third place at the national level under the “Nanaji Deshmukh Sarvottam Panchayat Satat Vikas Puraskar 2025”, along with a prize of ₹1.5 crore. The Chittoor District Panchayat Resource Centre achieved first rank in India under the “Panchayat Capacity Building Institution Award 2026”, receiving ₹1 crore for its outstanding performance in training and institutional strengthening. Meanwhile, Kanipakam Gram Panchayat in Irala mandal secured second place under the “Atmanirbhar Panchayat Special Award 2026”, earning ₹75 lakh for its exemplary work in local development and self-reliance initiatives, the Collector said.Mr. Sumit Kumar said that Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu had congratulated the district for its unique achievements towards the agrarian uplift through coordinated efforts by field-level staff, elected representatives, and district administration teams. “Chittoor district is steadily emerging as a model for the effective implementation of rural development programmes at the national level,” the Collector said. Published - May 16, 2026 06:38 pm IST
