Saptagiri Ulaka receives Sansad Ratna Award 2026

Koraput MP Saptagiri Sankar Ulaka has been awarded the Sansad Ratna Award 2026 for his leadership as Chairperson of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Rural Development and Panchayati Raj. The honor was presented during the 16th Sansad Ratna Awards ceremony in New Delhi.

Under Ulaka’s chairmanship, the committee submitted 41 reports to Parliament during the 18th Lok Sabha. These reports addressed critical issues including rural employment, livelihoods, road infrastructure, land governance, and tribal rights. The committee also scrutinized major programs such as MGNREGA, the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), and the Digital India Land Records Modernisation Programme (DILRMP).

A significant portion of the committee's work focused on tribal and Scheduled Areas, specifically reviewing the Panchayats (Extension to the Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996 (PESA) and the implementation of the 73rd Constitutional Amendment to empower grassroots institutions and Gram Sabhas. Ulaka dedicated the award to the people of Koraput, noting that the honor reflects the collective efforts of the committee members, ministry representatives, and Lok Sabha Secretariat officials.