|
Year End Review
The Ministry of Panchayati Raj has finalized a draft action plan for achieving the objective of strengthening Panchayati Raj Institutions to enable them to function as true institutions of self-governance. Panchayati Raj Institutions are the primary units of self-governance for planning and implementation of programmes of economic development and social justice as envisaged in the Constitution of India. The draft action plan was evolved through 150 recommendations reached by consensus in 150 days through deliberations with State Ministers of Panchayati Raj and Rural Development over seven Round Table Conferences organized during the period from July to December, 2004.
It was also decided to constitute a Council of Panchayati Raj Ministers for the effective implementation of the recommendations of the round tables on Panchayati Raj. A Committee comprising chief secretaries of state and Panchyati Raj Secretary is entrusted with the task of evolving modalities of implementation of these recommendations.
The decision to hold Round Tables for discussing various aspects of Panchayati Raj system was taken at a meeting of Chief Ministers and State Ministers in-charge of Panchayati Raj which was held in Delhi in June this year. This meeting discussed issues relating to effective devolution of functions, functionaries and finances; planning Gram Sabhas; representations for women, SCs/STs; special problems of SCs and STs; elections, audit, parallel bodies, capacity building and training, state of the Panchayat reports and jurisprudence, IT enabled e-governance and rural business hubs. The Round Tables held deliberations on 18 identified dimensions of Panchayati Raj system as envisaged in the Constitution of the country.
It has also been decided that the Ministry of Panchayati Raj should be consulted for incorporating its views for consideration of Cabinet/Cabinet Committees in all phases relating to centrally sponsored programmes/schemes that have a bearing on decentralization. There are about 300 centrally sponsored schemes, the majority of which is related to the 29 subjects listed in the Constitution for implementation through Panchayati Raj Institutions. The Ministry has set up a task force of state secretaries for working out modalities of implementation of these centrally sponsored schemes through Panchayats in all states and Union Territories.
The Ministry has also taken initiatives in developing rural business hubs by industries utilizing resources from rural areas for value addition and marketing. The areas identified for this purpose include agriculture, poultry, bamboo products, khadi and village industries, handicrafts and rural textile fashion. The Ministry has also secured the guidance of Confederation of Indian Industry for developing rural business hubs.
It was also agreed in one of the Round Table Conferences that a Devolution Index of functions for Panchayati Raj Institutions will be prepared by the states themselves on the basis of self assessment but would be available for further evaluation and assessment by academic bodies. The Devolution Index is to regard at best as an illustrative guide to be taken as an annual report as a whole and not as a ranking mechanism of either states or performance on specific parameters or for making inter state comparisons. The Annual Report on State of the Panchayats should also include the status of Devolution of functions, functionaries and finances to PRIs and the nexus between these three elements of devolutions including details about devolution of function to different tiers of panchayats (activity mapping) besides tracking the flow of funds to PRIs. The Union Ministry of Panchayat is to prepare an Annual Report on the State of the Panchayats in the country as a whole which will be laid down on the table of both Houses of Parliament.
|
