The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Aiyar defends Governor for returning panchayat raj Bill

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Tuesday, Aug 14, 2007
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Aiyar defends Governor for returning panchayat raj Bill

Karnataka Bureau

Chaturvedi has returned the Bill to the legislature for reconsideration

Panchayat members told to fight against the amendments
‘State Government should desist from curtailing powers of panchayats’

Bangalore: Union Minister for Panchayat Raj Mani Shankar Aiyar here on Monday defended Governor T.N. Chaturvedi in returning the Karnataka Panchayat Raj (Amendment) Bill 2006 to the State legislature for its reconsideration.

The Bill was passed by both the Houses last year to empower the legislators in the distribution of Ashraya sites and houses to the beneficiaries, thus taking away the power given to the panchayats.

Speaking to presspersons on the sidelines of a function organised by the Gram Panchayat Hakkottaya Andolana, the Minister said he had written to Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy expressing his concerns over the dilution in powers of the panchayat raj institutions.

At another meeting organised by the Karnataka Panchayat Parishat, Mr. Aiyar called upon panchayat members in Karnataka to fight against any effort to recommence the process of converting Karnataka Panchayat Raj (Amendment) Bill, 2007 into an Act.

Mr. Aiyar said both Mr. Kumaraswamy and Minister for Rural Development and Panchayat Raj C.M. Udasi had responded to his letter.

The State Government still had constitutional rights to return the Bill to the Governor without discussing it in the legislature.

But, he said that it was necessary for the organisations engaged in supporting the panchayat raj institutions to pressure the Government to kill the Bill on its own before the expiry of six months from the date of the message of the Governor to the legislature.

He also advised the State to preserve its lead position in the panchayat raj system by desisting from curtailing

the powers of panchayats. “If Karnataka slips, then the panchayat raj system in the entire country would slip,” he cautioned.

Leaders’ contribution

Pointing out that “non-Congress” leaders like Abdul Nazir Saab and Ramakrishna Hegde had made immense contribution to the panchayat raj system, he remarked, “the present non-Congress government in Karnataka is the spiritual inheritor of the traditions set by these non-Congress leaders. But your legislation is totally against such a spirit of decentralisation and traditions adopted by your own leaders.”

In an obvious reference to the efforts by legislators to curtail the powers of panchayats, Mr. Aiyar asserted that the legislators should not be allowed to set the agenda for the panchayats. “After all, there are only 300 legislators while you (panchayat members) are in lakhs. Why are you allowing them to set your agenda?” he asked the panchayat members.

Meanwhile, Mr. Udasi, who presided over the conference, said the State Cabinet would decide the next move of the Government in the wake of the Governor returning the Bill.

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