Activity mapping vital for Panchayati Raj system: Shri Aiyar
CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE OF PANCHAYATI RAJ MEETS
Shri Manishankar Aiyar, Minister of Petroleum & Natural Gas and Panchayati Raj, has called upon the State Governments and Union Territory administrations to complete activity mapping on the basis of ‘subsidiarity’ as it is vital for allotting functions, finances and functionaries to Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) in the country. The principle of ‘subsidiarity’ states that any activity which can be undertaken at a lower level must be undertaken at that level in preference to being undertaken at any higher level. The Minister is for activity mapping among various departments of Central Government as there are various schemes for handling drinking water at the Central level which needed streamlining for its effective implementation. A meeting of the Group of Ministers will consider ways and means of integrating these schemes and a report on this would be submitted in the coming three months, the Minister said while addressing a meeting of the Consultative Committee of Members of Parliament attached to the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, here today.
Constitution provides for devolution of powers to PRIs to make them function as institutions of self-governance and implementing programmes of economic development and social justice for subjects devolved to them which include 29 subjects ranging from agriculture, minor irrigation, small scale industries, drinking water, health and education, social welfare, cultural activities etc. The Minister informed the members that the States were impressed upon the need for fixing milestone in activity mapping and expedite issue of necessary orders to implement devolution of funds and functions for devolved activities to different tiers of the Panchayati Raj system.
As regards implementation of about 200 centrally-sponsored schemes, the Minister said that his Ministry was examining the guidelines for such schemes with a view to ensuring the centrality of Panchayats in the planning and implementation of such schemes for which a sum of Rs.50,000 crore was being allocated from the various Ministries / Departments of the Central Government. Panchayats should be provided ‘untied’ funds as is being done in the State of Kerala for meeting the felt needs of the local people.
Reacting to a suggestion from a Member of Parliament on the implementation of the provisions of the Panchayats (Extension to the Schedule Areas) Act, 1996, the Minister said that the Act should be extended to all tribal areas to protect the interest of the tribals and for control over minor forest produce besides protecting forest cover.
The Consultative Committee meeting was attended by S/Shri Y.S. Vivekanand Reddy, S.G. Koli Patel and Ramsevak Singh Babuji.
SBK/SCH
(Release ID :11627)