Amend Act for more powers to Panchayats: Naidu

panaji: the bharatiya janata party (bjp) national executive today endorsed the national declaration adopted at the all india panchayati raj conference held this month and urged the government to bring in a constitutional amendment in the next session of parliament for speedy devolution of financial and administrative powers to panchayats. in a resolution adopted at its three-day meeting here, the national executive also urged the government to devise new and innovative ways of making non-budgetary resources available to the panchayats.the bjp felt that it was time to think in terms of earmarking funds, especially for various tiers of the panchayati raj system without giving scope for diversion or delay in reaching the funds. the bjp urged all political parties and state governments to support the early passage of the new amendments to the constitution to go ahead with the second generation panchayati raj reforms. the union minister of rural development, mr venkaiah naidu told news men that the panchayati raj institutions cannot be empowered under the provisions of 73rd constitutional amendment alone. after a decade of passage of the constitutional amedment it was realised that the empowerment of panchayati raj institutions cannot be completed without devolution of adequate rightful financial and administrative powers to them. he said in most states, elections to panchayats were either not held for years together or when held, the panchayats were routinely superseded by the bureaucracy to serve the partisan ends of the ruling party. the bjp, however, noted some of the positive outcome of the 73rd and 74th amendments particularly promoting the ideals of social justice and women’s political empowerment. mr naidu said the panchayati raj was also the state subject and therefore the devolution of powers and functions are often decided by the state government. though the spirit of the constitution was good but it often being misused for political gains in states. in view of this no safeguard was provided and the bjp proposed to bring in greater clarity and accountability for completing the devolution with a time frame, he added. he assured to consult ministry of law and judiciary and parliamentary affairs ministry for moving the amedment which will be brought before the next session of parliament. the bjp has therefore coined a special slogan “ from parliament to panchayats and from lok sabha to gram sabha�, mr naidu said. the national declaration, unanimously adopted the all india panchayati raj conference declaration held on april 6 in new delhi.