Monthly allowance, training to panchayat bodies' reps: Min

Bihar Panchayati Raj Minister Vinod Kumar Yadav today said three-tier panchayat raj system has empowered women and other deprived sections, and proposed to give monthly allowance and training to village and zila panchayat representatives to channelise their energy for making the system more effective at the grass-root level.
"We have succeeded in empowering women and other deprived sections under reservation system in the rural bodies....Now it is time to make rural bodies more effective and functional to fulfil developmental aspirations of rural people for which proposals like monthly allowance and training for panchayati bodies are under consideration," he said in Assembly.

He was replying to debate on third supplementary demands for Rs 4721 crore comprising Rs 338.33 crore to meet expenditure till March 31, this year.
Yadav also proposed to enhance financial powers of rural body's representatives and announced that such bodies can approved development work upto Rs five lakh in the villages as against Rs one lakh earlier.
Among other proposals for the benefit of rural bodies' representatives, the Minister announced that no frivolous cases on corruption and related charges will lodged against such Representatives and said the measure will help them function without fear.
He said that the kins of rural bodies' representatives will get Rs one lakh as claim in the event of their death in accidents while serving their terms.

Stressing on infrastructure for functioning of panchayat bodies, Yadav said as many as 1435 panchayat buildings were under different stages of construction.
The legislative council also passed the Bihar Appropriation bill by voice vote.
The BJP members staged a walk out from the legislative Assembly during middle of the minister's reply charging the JD(U) government with not doing enough for strengthen panchayati raj system in Bihar.