The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Thanjavur News : Call for transparency in panchayat works

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, May 25, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Thanjavur

Call for transparency in panchayat works

Staff Reporter

Inform district admn. about non-cooperating officials: Collector

THANJAVUR: The Collector M. Veera Shanmugha Moni, called for transparency in administration and involvement of panchayat presidents in implementing Government schemes to bring about a transformation at the panchayat level.

Addressing nearly 250 panchayat presidents of Pattukottai and Thanjavur revenue divisions in the district, the Collector said that the panchayat chiefs were vested with enough powers to discharge their duties. "If they find it difficult with any official in implementing the welfare schemes, they can always complain to the district administration," MR. Veera Shanmugha Moni said.

He held discussions with the Village panchayat presidents with regard to administration, rural and human resource development in panchayats.

He said that panchayats could generate their own resources through collection of property tax, auctioning of sand quarries, brick kilns, etc.

They can also cut wasteful expenditure by using non-conventional energy sources for generating electricity.

"Many panchayts are finding it difficult to pay electricity bills. They can use solar lights and cut down electricity expenditure," the Collector said.

Mr. Veera Shanmugha Moni said that panchayat presidents should play an important role in selecting 25 poorest of the poor families in the village for providing all infrastructure facilities.

Information boards

Advising the panchayat chiefs to put up boards to inform people about the various works being carried out in their villages, he said, "the administration should be transparent."

He asked to give importance to hygiene and health and for implementation of Sarva Siksha Abhiyan schemes.

They should make use of the `Namadhu Gramam' and `Mahalir Thittam' schemes.

Panneerselvam, president of Keerapalayam panchayat in Cuddalore district, who won the president award for making Keerapalayam a role model panchayat, was honoured at the meeting.

The Collector presented a shawl to him and appealed to all presidents to make their panchayats like "Keerapalayam".

Mr. Panneerselvam said that he implemented various schemes successfully with people's participation. There were no political party flags in my village. "We people are united and we got help from various world organisations," Mr. Panneerselvam said.

He said that gram sabha meetings were held in his panchayat periodically to mobilise people's participation to implement various schemes.

"Our panchayat was the first to implement the solid waste management in the whole state," claimed Mr. Panneerselvam.

L. Francis, Assistant Director, Panchayat Development, participated in the meeting.

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