More Financial Powers Mooted For Panchayats

A broad consensus seems to be emerging among the Centre and state governments on amending the Constitution to facilitate greater financial and administrative empowerment of panchayati raj institutions.

This indication emerged from the first meeting of the inter-state and inter-ministerial sub-committee on the empowerment of panchayati raj institutions, here today.

The meeting was convened by Union Rural Development Minister Kashiram Rana and was attended by chief ministers and rural development ministers of several states and representatives of various other organisations.

Rana said the rural development ministry had already drafted amendments needed for it. This had been done in consultation with the law ministry. The move would, however, have to go through the process of all-party consultations before taking a concrete shape.

 

Rana said greater financial and administrative empowerment of the grassroots civic bodies was crucial for the proper implementation of rural development and poverty alleviation programmes. The National Development Council had appointed the sub-committee on empowerment of panchayati raj bodies at its December 2002 meeting.

There are around 250,000 panchayati bodies. Of these, about 225,000 are gram (village) panchayats. Roughly about three million people, including over one million women, have been elected to these bodies. Panchayat elections have been held in all states, barring Jharkhand and the Union Territory of Pondicherry.

The next meeting of the sub-committee on empowerment will be held on July 19. Today