The Hindu : Front Page : Reducing inequality, inequity a challenge: Manmohan Singh

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Saturday, Jan 17, 2009
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Reducing inequality, inequity a challenge: Manmohan Singh

Special Correspondent

Envisages greater role for gram sabhas in this endeavour

Need to meet core development needs
Focus is on participative and inclusive process

- PHOTO: V.V.KRISHNAN

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh releases a `Manual for Integrated District Planning' at the national conference of chairpersons of District Planning Committees, in New Delhi on Friday. With him is Union Minister for Panchayati Raj Mani Shankar Aiyar.

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday asked the gram sabhas to share greater responsibility in formulating plans and shaping the country’s growth and reducing inequity and inequality.

Inaugurating the first conference of chairpersons of district planning committees (DPCs), Dr. Singh said that only through inclusive governance could the country achieve inclusive growth. The aspiration of “a large, young and restless nation” to collectively guide the nation’s destiny was to develop a strong local government system.

“Each one of you has a crucial role in building a thoughtful vision for your district through a participative and inclusive process. The most important issue before us is to meet the challenge of reducing inequity and inequality,” he said.

There was need to meet the core development needs that were essential for human growth. These include combating of disease, eliminating malnutrition, providing safe drinking water and good quality universal education, providing people with skills and employment opportunities and preserving the environment.

The plan should emerge from the gram sabhas and move to the next leg of local government at the intermediate and district level. At this stage, these bodies must “fit together the priorities” cutting across their jurisdiction and help the DPCs to consolidate the urban and rural plans into draft development plans.

While emphasising that the pressure on local governments and administrations to perform was very high, the Prime Minister said it was imperative to build the capacity of the elected representatives in the local institutions but admitted that not adequate focus was accorded to equip them through training to discharge their duties effectively.

Dr. Singh said it was high time these bodies “asserted the authority vested in them in our democracy.”

He directed that capacity building of panchayat functionaries managing the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act be taken up as a major task.

He pointed out that 19 States had constituted DPCs and appealed to others “to adhere to these mandatory provisions of the Constitution expeditiously.” Transfers to centrally sponsored schemes, including NREGA, had increased nearly threefold to Rs. 1.2-lakh crore annually.

He said the UPA government had brought about a silent political and social revolution in empowering the masses and initiating actions for people’s welfare.

The Centre favoured that programmes such as rural water supply, the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan and the National Rural Health Mission be planned and implemented at the district level.

Panchayati Raj Minister Mani Shankar Aiyar presided over the two-day conference, being attended by over 1,000 delegates, including chairpersons and chief executive officers of zilla parishads.

He regretted that some States had failed to utilise funds due to their failure to constitute DPCs, while others had not fully utilised their funds. There were others who did not present plans for sanction.

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