CHENNAI: The State Government has decided to constitute an experts' committee to review the powers and functions of local bodies, Rural Development and Local Administration Minister M.K. Stalin told the Assembly on Friday.

Another committee would handle redrawing of boundaries of local bodies, he said, wrapping up the debate on the demands for grants to his departments.

Moving the demands, Mr. Stalin said, "The Government is always open to the idea of delegating more powers and functions to rural local bodies, especially village panchayats and panchayat unions."

It was for a two-tier panchayat raj system.

Polls to local bodies

This year, elections to the local bodies would be held as per schedule. Seats and offices reserved for Scheduled Castes/Tribes and women would be rotated for the elections.

On the status of the Tamil Nadu Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, he said the Government framed a rural schedule of rates, under which beneficiaries would get a minimum wage of Rs. 80 a day. This year, the Government allotted Rs. 26 crore. Under this scheme, about 5.9 lakh households got registered, of which 80,000 applied for work. About 1,520 works were taken up.

A revised list of persons covered under the below the poverty category would be displayed at the offices of village panchayats and put on the Internet.

SHG membership

The Government proposed to make efforts to increase women members in self-help groups (SHG) to one crore in five years. This year, 25,000 women SHGs would be formed.

On the lines of women SHGs, youth SHGs would be assisted, for which Rs. 10 crore had been allotted. In the current year, 10,000 youth SHGs would be formed.

A seed capital of Rs. 10,000 would be given to each of 4,000 panchayat-level federations (PLF) of SHGs.

Criticising the previous All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam regime on the implementation of tsunami-related developmental works, Mr Stalin said the World Bank and the International Fund for Agricultural Development allocated Rs. 1350 crore and about Rs. 284 crore respectively to the Rural Development department. No expenditure was incurred in this regard. Out of the Asian Development Bank's assistance of Rs. 301.22 crore, only Rs. 5 crore was spent, the Minister said.

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