KASHIRAM RANA URGED STATES TO GIVE
MORE POWERS TO PANCHAYATS FOR STRENGTHENING DEMOCRACY AT GRASSROOTS
LEVEL
CASH
INCENTIVE FOR BETTER PERFORMING PANCHAYATS
EMPOWERED
SUB-COMMITTEE ON FINANCIAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE EMPOWERMENT OF PRIs
MEETS
The Ministry of Rural
Development would continue to strive towards securing the decentralised
governance through Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) in accordance
with the letter and spirit of the Constitution. The Government
of India has already reiterated time and again that it is committed
to effective implementation of Part IX of the Constitution and
is ready to bring in second generation of amendments. This was
stated by Shri Kashiram Rana, Union Minister for Rural Development
while chairing the second meeting of Empowered Sub-Committee on
Financial and Administrative Empowerment of PRIs here today.
Shri Rana called
for imperative need to ensure sound financial and administrative
health of Panchayats, through effective devolution and capacity
building. He emphasised that the devolution of the three ‘Fs’,
that is funds, functions and functionaries should be secured urgently,
if need be, even through an amendment in the Constitution.
Union Minister of
Social Justice and Empowerment, Union Minister of Tribal Affairs,
Chief Ministers of Madhya Pradesh, Punjab and Rajasthan, Rural
Development Ministers of Bihar, Punjab, Gujarat, Karnataka, Kerala
and Rajasthan, Secretary Planning Commission, Member Planning
Commission, Secretary, Rural Development, Advisor Planning Commission
and Additional Secretary Rural Development participated in the
discussion.
Shri Annasaheb M.K.
Patil, Minister of State for Rural Development said in accordance
with the decisions of the last meeting which was held on June
26, 2003, Ministry of Rural Development has received comments
only from six states. These states are Punjab, Rajasthan, Assam,
Karnataka, Gujarat and Kerala.
Shri Kashiram Rana
highlighted to encourage the Panchayats to perform well, Ministry
of Rural Development has now instituted annual awards for ‘Best
Performing Panchayat’. This award is to be given to 6 District
Panchayats, that is one in each of the 6 zones, 12 Intermediate
Panchayats and 50 Gram Panchayats in the country on an annual
basis. The amount of award will be Rs.30 lakhs each for District
Panchayats, Rs.20 lakhs each for Intermediate Panchayats and Rs.10
lakhs each for Gram Panchayats.
Shri Rana said a
Motion was moved in both the Houses of the Parliament to discuss
the implementation of Part-IX and Part IXA of the Constitution
to commemorate the completion of 10 years of the enactment of
the Constitution 73rd and 74th Amendment
Acts. Both the Houses were unanimous in acknowledging the achievements
so far and expressed the need to accelerate further strengthening
of the PRIs as envisioned in the Constitution, he further addded.
Shri Rana informed,
Empowerment of Gram Sabhas as Social Audit Bodies and reorientation
of official machinery, and procedures to enable PRIs to function
smoothly as institutions of self-government also received considerable
mention.
Touching upon the
issue of development at grassroots level Shri Rana stated that
to achieve a growth rate of 8% in the Tenth Plan, feeding of district
plans finalised by District Planning Committees (DPCs) into State
and national level planning was essential. DPCs must occupy the
requisite significant role in the overall achievement of development
goals of the country. The Ministry of Rural Development has made
Panchayats a key plank in its development strategy and in the
recently launched programmes such as Sampoorna Grameen rozgar
yojana, (SGRY), Swajaldhara, and Hariyali, Panchayats have been
given a key role in identification of beneficiaries, project selection,
monitoring, supervision and release of funds and foodgrains to
the tune of Rs.10,000-12000 crores being disbursed by them.
