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Aiyar's assurance to Hooda on Panchayati Raj

Special Correspondent

Regrets lowering of Panchayat status in the State

— Photo: PTI

MAKING A POINT: Union Petroleum, Natural Gas and Panchayati Raj Minister Mani Shankar Aiyar addressing a press conference along with Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda in Chandigarh on Monday.

CHANDIGARH: Union Panchayati Raj Minister Mani Shankar Aiyar on Monday assured Central help to Haryana in further empowering the Panchayati Raj institutions in the State.

Talking to media persons shortly after signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the State Government to further strengthen the Panchayati Raj institutions, he regretted that the status of Panchayats had been lowered in Haryana in the recent past.

Intervening, the Chief Minister, Bhupinder Singh Hooda, said that programmes like "Sarkar Apke Dwar" and formation of Village Development Committees by the erstwhile regime had made Panchayati Raj institutions ineffective. Mr. Aiyar suggested that the Haryana Government should set up Rural Business Hubs (RBH) with the cooperation of Panchayats as one such pilot project undertaken with the help of Confederation of Indian Industry had succeeded in Uttranchal. Such hubs could be set up in industrially-backward areas.

Recalling the significant role played by the late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in empowering the Panchayati Raj institutions, Mr. Aiyar said that he had been visiting various States to get the MoUs signed to adequately empower such Institutions. He remarked that when he recently met the representatives of Gram Sabhas, Gram Panchayats and Zila Parishads in Faridabad, Palwal and Ballabgarh, he was shocked to learn that these elected representatives did not know their rights and duties and most of them were first-timers.

He said that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had in June last year asked the Chief Ministers to take steps for ushering in prosperity in rural areas through Panchayati Raj institutions.

Those present included Additional Secretary Panchayati Raj, Sudha Pillai, Joint Secretary Panchayati Raj, T.R.Raghunandan, Haryana Finance Minister Birender Singh, Haryana Excise and Taxation Minister Venod Sharma, the Irrigation Minister, Ajay Singh Yadav, the Chief Secretary, G. Madhavan, the Principal Secretary to Chief Minister, M.L.Tayal, and other senior officers of the State Government.

According to the MoU, the Union Ministry for Panchayati Raj will assist the Haryana Government in capacity building and training of elected representatives and officials of Panchayats. This may include exposure visits to other States in order to familiarise themselves with best practices. Awareness would be created among the youth and the student community, aspirants to office in the Panchayati Raj institutions and elected representatives about the significance of Gram Swaraj.

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Aiyar's assurance to Hooda on Panchayati Raj

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