States told to fix term for panchayats

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, JULY 11. The Centre today warned States - which have not held due elections to the panchayat raj institutions - that funds for rural development would be withheld. States which have declared their intention to hold elections were let off the hook, but Delhi was singled out by the Union Minister for Rural Development, Mr. Venkaiah Naidu, at the national conference of Panchayat Raj Ministers here today.

Panchayats in the national capital territory of Delhi were superseded in 1989 and there is no declaration of intention to call elections for panchayats. The matter is under litigation in some other States but that is seen more as a ruse to delay elections than anything else.

Inaugurating the conference, Mr. Venkaiah Naidu urged State Governments to give a fixed five-year term to panchayats to ensure a definite time frame for devolution of powers and funds to the local bodies. Like Lok Sabha, panchayat bodies should go to the polls before completion of five years.

``The Constitution envisages panchayats as institutions of self- governance with clear political, administrative and financial powers. It is imperative, therefore, that the devolution of powers is not delayed further,'' he said.

Referring to the setting up of parallel bodies (in Haryana and Madhya Pradesh), the Minister said the Prime Minister, Mr. Atal Behari Vajpayee, had recently written to Chief Ministers asking them not to set up parallel structures that would marginalise panchayat raj institutions. The objective was to implement constitutional provisions in order that panchayats were enabled to effectively address the task of socio-economic backwardness and rural poverty.

The conference was attended among others by Ms. Rita Verma and Mr. Subhash Maharia, Ministers of State for Rural Development and by the Haryana Chief Minister, Mr. Om Prakash Chautala, who holds the charge of Panchayats. Ministers of most States were present. Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu were represented by their Secretary, Panchayats.

Mr. Venkaiah Naidu said there are 2.5 lakh panchayats in the country of which about 2.25 lakh were gram panchayats manned by about 34 lakh elected representatives at all levels. ``This is the widest representative base anywhere in the world and should be strengthened,'' he said. States like Bihar and Punjab opposed the setting up of parallel structures saying that they will weaken the panchayat raj institutions. Any body thus constituted should only assist panchayats and should function totally under the ambit and control of panchayats.

The Minister suggested that States might constitute awards for best panchayats at village, intermediate and district level as grant-in-aid. Responding to the suggestion, Mr. Chautala announced at the conference a grant of Rs. 8 lakhs for zilla parishads, Rs. 5 lakhs to panchayat samitis and Rs. 50,000 to gram panchayats whose performance would be outstanding.

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Section  : National
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