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`Haryana first State to delegate powers to PRIs'

Special Correspondent

CHANDIGARH: Union Panchayati Raj Minister Mani Shankar Aiyar on Friday appreciated that Haryana was the first State to transfer functions, functionaries and funds of its 10 departments to the three-tiers of Panchayati Raj Institutions(PRIs)--- Zila Parishad, Panchayat Samiti and Gram Panchayat.

Addressing a joint press conference with the Chief Minister, Bhupinder Singh Hooda, here on Friday evening, he said that Haryana was also the first State which had transferred major irrigation works to the PRIs. They also released a book on Activity Mapping for Devolution of Powers to Panchayati Raj Institutions in Haryana. Mr. Aiyar said that he would shortly write to all the Chief Ministers to follow Haryana's example of transferring major works of irrigation to PRIs.

While praising Mr.Hooda for devolution of financial and administrative powers to panchayati raj institutions to realise the dream of the late Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi, who had strongly advocated for empowerment of panchayati raj institutions, Mr. Aiyar said this day, February 17, should be celebrated every year by the State on the pattern of Haryana Day which falls on November 1.

The departments for which functions, functionaries and funds have been transferred to PRIs include Food and Supplies, Health, Public Health, Social Justice and Empowerment, Irrigation, Animal Husbandry, Education, Women and Child Development, Agriculture and Forests. Mr. Aiyar said that when he had signed an memorandum of understanding with the Haryana Government on August 22 last here, he was not sure that his dream of devolution of powers to panchayati raj institutions would be realised in such a short time as this had not been done in the last 13 years.

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