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Centre Plan: EC To Hold Panchayat Election The Indian Express The Centre is set to bring a Panchayati Raj Amendment Bill in the monsoon session empowering the Election Commission to hold Panchayat elections and to enable professional firms to audit the accounts of the Panchayat bodies. Worried over reports of corruption in the Panchayati System, the Centre is ready to incorporate some recommendations of the 11th finance Commission. It has included the amendments after a series of discussions with the state governments. Though decentralization of power has been taking place, the elections never took place under the EC. Now the EC will prepare a ‘Model Code’ to regulate the elections. The bill also envisages more powers to the chief electoral officers and election officials of the state for smooth conduct of the panchayat elections. The bill will also introduce a system of internal audit of the accounts of the Panchayat bodies at every stage. The external audit would be done by the CAG. The bill also has provision for a national Accounting standard board and a public Accounts Committee, which will report to the state assemblies. The state Government can also be allowed to choose professional audit firms to look into the accounts. The Bill, if passed, would also ensure that professionals - like engineers - are appointed to undertake development work at the panchayat level. |
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