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Aiyar: Centre to keep tab on Panchayat funds

The Pioneer,
Thursday, December 14, 2006.

Union Panchayati Raj Minister Mani Sanker Aiyer on Wednesday informed the Lok Shaba That the Centre would keep electronic tab on the funds allocated for panchayat institutions to ensure that money was optimally utilized to carry out developmental works at the grass roots level.

“Panchayati Raj is the only solution to eradicate corruption from the system. It would bring a real turnaround in the real life. So we have decided electronically tag and track the utilization of funds by Panchayats. All the details to the effect of funds utilization would be just a click away”, Aiyar said.

In over three-hour long reply to the discussion on report on the ‘State of Panchayats – A mid-term review and appraisal 2006’ Aiyar said that Panchayats hold the key not only to the rural poverty and basic infrastuctural upgradation, but would also address the problem of naxalism.

“The weapons cannot check naxalism, but Panchayats can”, he asserted.

He said that the Centre has proposed to give incentives to the best performing panchayats. “Gram Sabhas are the people’s parliament. They are not the centres of contractors. We need to strengthen them. The Ministry in consultation with the state Governments has mandated that no panchayat would get funds unless the district planning is done at the local level,” he said.

Gram Sabhas are people’s parliament. They are not the centres of contractors. We need to strengthen them.

Referring to the problem of infrastructure and other logistics in running gram Sabhas effectively. Aiyar said that the Government would ensure that every Gram Sabha has a proper building and adequate staff to carry out developmental works. “If we need South and North Blocks to run India, Gram Sabhas must have the buildings to sit and work out action plans,” he added.

The Minister said that efforts were on to secure financial support from UNDP to build the Capacity of Panchayati institutions and develop the skills of the people associated with them. “We are moving towards the right direction in a scientific manner. There will be devolution of functional and financial activities. There is no scope for any kind of confusion at any levels,” Aiyar said.

Aiyar said that Panchayati Raj had led to the empowerment of the women in general and women from the weaker sections of the society in particular.

“Among ST representatives in the Panchayat bodies, almost 65 per cent of them are women. The overall representation of SC/ST women in the local bodies is 31 per cent. It is great change taking place at the grass root level,” he said.

“Such a huge representation of women in the local bodies is unparalleled in the world. There are 32 lakh representatives in local bodies in the country. There are 10 lakh women representatives in panchayats countrywide. They are doing a fantastic job,” Aiyar added.

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