The Hindu : National : Call to make panchayats self-reliant

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, May 23, 2004

National

National

Call to make panchayats self-reliant

By Our Special Correspondent

JAIPUR, MAY 22. A two-day workshop for the elected women representatives of the Panchayati Raj institutions belonging to Scheduled Castes organised here over the week-end provided an opportunity to them to understand the issues before the village panchayats and their role in the social and political empowerment of women through the power to intervene in their matters.

The State-level workshop was organised at the Indira Gandhi Panchayati Raj Evam Grameen Vikas Sansthan here under the aegis of the National Women's Commission.

A call was given on the occasion to strengthen the economic position of panchayats to enable them to play a meaningful role in social transformation in the rural areas.

The women representatives who attended the workshop included the Sarpanches, Pradhans and Zila Pramukhs from various districts.

Each of them provided a brief account of the problems confronting the Dalit, Scheduled Caste and disadvantaged women in their regions and the role expected of the panchayat bodies in improving their lot.

The Principal Secretary, Panchayati Raj and Rural Development Department, M.K. Khanna, speaking at the valedictory function, said the panchayats should be made self-reliant especially on the economic front so that they could play an influential role at the local level.

He also underlined the significance of imparting regular training to the elected representatives on the identified themes.

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