Panchayat system can help counter Maoist menace: PM

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today said challenges posed by Maoists could be countered by empowering rural poor and marginalised sections through Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs).

“We should pay special attention to ensure that PRIs function effectively in remote and backward areas, which include tribal areas. This will help us in tackling the challenges such as the Maoist menace,” he said inaugurating a conference to celebrate the National Panchayati Raj Day.

Singh said participation of Panchayats in various development programmes was essential as “they understand the local needs”

“Panchayats not only make direct participation possible for the marginalised section of society in governance, but also play an important role in ensuring transparency and accountability in the functioning of government institutions and officials,” he added.

Describing the day as “historic” for PRIs, he said it was on this day in 1993 that the 73rd Constitutional Amendment was implemented to enable the three-tier Panchayats to take responsibility of governance.

“This has made decentralisation (of power) possible up to the grassroot level. The impact of the 73rd amendment is now very clearly visible. It has empowered the common man and poor, and has brought about changes in the power equations in rural India,” he said.

Expressing happiness over the regular conduct of Panchayat elections, Singh said over 2.8 miilion people have now officially become part of the country’s democracy through about 600 district panchayats, 6,000 intermediate panchayats and 230,000 gram panchayats.

Noting that 33 per cent reservation for women has been implemented in the PRIs, the prime minister said it was a matter of pride for the country that today about 1 million women work in rural India as elected representative, which is more than the number of reserved seats.

“With the implementation of the proposed 50 per cent quota for women in PRIs, their number is expected to increase to 1.4 million in these institutions,” he added. The prime minister said apart from the women’s reservation in PRIs, there are arrangements for providing quota for SCs and STs in proportion to their population, while some states have provided reservation to OBCs too.

“The objective of all these measures is to enhance direct participation of weaker sections in governance,” he said.

Singh said PRIs have been given special importance in the implementation of various government schemes in the 11th Five-Year Plan as they understood the local issues well.

“Our government is aware of the difficulties being faced by Panchayats. It has been our continuous endeavour that basic facilities are provided to PRIs and arrangements for (devolution of) funds, functions and functionaries be made to them,” he said.

“This will help giving a new shape to the services rendered by the Panchayats,” he said. Noting that the government had under the 13th Finance Commission announced a share to the Panchayats from tax collections, the Prime Minister said this would give PRIs the status of local self-governance units in the real sense.