PRAYAGRAJ, Oct. 4 -- Improved management of local water bodies has bolstered the finances of gram panchayats in Prayagraj, with 125 villages earning over Rs.1 lakh each through the auction of ponds for fisheries and other activities. District officials announced that approximately Rs.5 crore, collected from pond auctions between 2016 and 2026 and previously held in the revenue department's treasury, has now been transferred to the Gram Nidhi bank accounts of the village bodies. This infusion of funds will provide them with additional resources to undertake local development projects. District Panchayati Raj Officer (DPRO) Ravi Shankar Dwivedi noted that of the 2,871 ponds earmarked for fisheries across Prayagraj's 1,540 gram panchayats, 2,140 have been leased through auctions. Kaudihar block recorded the highest income from these auctions, receiving Rs.35.76 lakh, followed by Jasra (Rs.30.22 lakh) and Shankargarh (Rs.29.38 lakh). Funds have been credited to the accounts of over 500 gram panchayats so far, including 45 in Jasra, 38 in Shankargarh, and 25 in Bhagwatpur. Beneficiaries include villages across the Ganga and Yamuna trans-regions and the Sadar area, such as Karehada Uparhar, Ahmadpur Pawan, Khatangi, Bhikhpur Medwara, Begumpur, Amreha, Baijla, Bara Khas, Ginj, Akauriya, Amiliha Tarhar, Bairi, and Bashara Uparhar. While gram panchayats typically rely on central and state finance commission grants for basic amenities like sanitation, roads, and drinking water, they can also generate their own revenue (OSR) by imposing local fees and leasing community assets, such as ponds for fish farming or water chestnut cultivation....