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| Aiyar complements state government for reviving Panchayats | | | EARLY TIMES REPORTER
SRINAGAR |AUGUST 27
Assuring all possible help for effective working of Panchayats and implementation of rural development schemes, the Union Minister for Panchayat Raj, Mani Shanker Aiyar today said that fiscal and democratic decentralization is essential for strengthening the federal fabric of the country.
Aiyar was addressing during the plenary discussion on decentralization and local governance during the 3-days conference on “Indian Federalism at Work” at SKICC organized by Institute of Social Sciences in collaboration with University of Kashmir, University of Jammu and Hamdard University, New Delhi. He said that with the empowerment of Panchayati Raj Institutions their accountability before the people is imperative for making them more effective in their functioning. He said that maximum participation of the people in the formulation and implementation of the welfare programmes through local bodies be followed by devolution of finances and functions to the panchayats.
Complementing the state government for reviving the panchayat raj institutions by holding the panchayat and municipal elections successfully throughout the state, Aiyar suggested the state government for adopting the innovatives taken by Karnataka, Kerala and Skkim states who have registered remarkable achievements in Panchayat Raj System for making the panchayats more people-friendly and effective. Offering expert opinion in this regard, he said that the state government can also avail the benefits of the activity mapping done by these states and the Union Ministry for Rural Development in re-drafting of the Act and monitoring the execution of welfare schemes by the Panchayat Raj Institutions. Terming the three tier system of Panchayati Raj a model for strengthening the local self government institutions, Aiyar said that Zila Parashids would be involved in the construction of major district roads, the Block Simitis in other district roads and Gram Panchayats in village and other link roads. He said that under Samporan Grameen Rozgar Yojana, (SGRY) direct flow of funds from the centre to the panchayats has been ensured adding that under 11th finance commission adequate funds for rural development sector have been allocated. Minister for Housing and Urban Development Tariq Hamid Karra in his address said that for building better centre-state relations in a country like ours demands acknowledging of religious, lingual, ethnic, geographic and demographic needs of the people of various states within the federal system of the country. He said that with the proper designing of development schemes and effective monitoring of these at all levels is another requisite for strengthening the mini-federal system within the states. Minister for Finance Government of Kerala Dr. Thomas Isaac addressing the conference advocated for fiscal decentralization and said that in Kerala, 35 to 40 percent of the Annual Plan allocation is earmarked for rural development schemes.
Minister of State for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Babu Singh in his address said that devolution of authority from top to bottom is instrumental in effective implementation of welfare schemes at all levels. He said that people regulated power must be maintained which, he said, is possible only under decentralization. He said that political authority has clouded the empowerment of people and suggested that ethics of democracy must be explained and codified for a better federal structure. |
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