Tamil Nadu - Chennai   

Decentralise local governance: Barnala

Special Correspondent

"In times of natural calamities, panchayats should form volunteer groups to carry out rescue operations"

RURAL DEVELOPMENT: Governor Surjit Singh Barnala (centre) with the former parliamentarian, Era Sezhiyan (right), and George Mathew, director, Institute of Social Sciences, at a conference in Chennai on Sunday. — PHOTO: R RAGU

CHENNAI: Local governance has to be decentralised in line with globalisation, but it should also have a human face, Governor Surjit Singh Barnala said on Sunday.

The benefits of globalisation have not been equitable, leading to a divide between the haves and the have-nots, he said, inaugurating a conference on `panchayats in tsunami rehabilitation', organised here by the Institute of Social Sciences.

Financial muscle

Power had become centralised in the hands of the State machinery, and panchayats should be given financial muscle by strengthening democratic institutions at the grassroots.

The Panchyati Raj system facilitated the empowerment of the village community and the emergence of women as leaders.

In times of natural calamities, panchayat representatives should form volunteer groups to carry out rescue and rehabilitation.

They had a leading role to play, since mitigation plans had to be addressed only through local development plans, the Governor said.

"Sidelined"

Immediately after the tsunami struck in 2004, the panchayat launched rescue operations and helped in recovering bodies, but government officials had sidelined the local body while drafting shelter plans, said Valarmathi, president, Velankanni special village panchayat in Nagapattinam district.

The panchayat was not consulted about the construction of temporary shelters as well as permanent houses, she said and stressed the need for enabling the panchayats to take up rehabilitation.

"Inverted pyramid"

The government apparatus had taken the form of an inverted pyramid, in which planning was done from above, and the local institutions were left out, said Era Sezhiyan, former parliamentarian and senior fellow, Institute of Social Sciences.

The Government had been apathetic towards the panchayat institutions, and local communities were excluded from disaster management initiatives, said Maalan, senior media advisor, the Hunger Project.

Panchayat representatives from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Tamil Nadu attended the conference.

George Mathew, director, Institute of Social Sciences, was present.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Inculcate interest in Tamil among youth, scholars told
Engineering mock test `challenging, useful'
TNCSC employee's dismissal upheld
Vanniyar groups list demands for support in Assembly polls
Decentralise local governance: Barnala
Spice trade warned on standards
Jayakumar commends Vreach work
Government urged to build checkdams across Palar
Networking of libraries urged
Two-day meet focusses on learning disabilities
Thirumalai Nagar residents demand better amenities
These cars navigated by Braille
Kannan holds talks with Jayalalithaa on alliance for election
Apparel making courses for BC, MBCs
Lawyers seek allotment of house sites
Repertoire Dogs... and more from Saarang
Fatally knocked down
Around the City
In Chennai Today
Reader's Mail

Copyright © 2006, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu