Panchayati Raj in J & K

The Daily Rising Kashmir

Rajouri, May 9: After conducting the block level meetings of Poonch, MLC Shehnaz Ganai on Thursday started bolck wise review of the status of devolution of powers to Panchayats in district Rajouri.

Shehnaz Ganai held interactive sessions with the officers of 14 departments, of whose various functions have been transferred to Panchayat Raj Institutions (PRI). She also held deliberations with the Panchs and Sarpanchs of Rajouri, Thanamandi, Budhal, Anjakote and Drahal blocks of district Rajouri.
She said that government has fulfilled its commitment to empower Panchayati Raj representatives in the true sense and much headway has been made in ensuring their empowerment.

A Conversation with Mani Shankar Aiyar on Panchayati Raj

The Economic Times


You have been passionately talking about Panchayati Raj. But your party doesn't seem to share the same passion lately...

Mani Shankar Aiyar: I don't agree with you here. The commitment of the party to Panchayati Raj and devolution of powers remains as strong as it was. But there is bewilderment as to how to go about it. Our expert committee report is just about this. Our report couldn't have come 25 years ago when there wasn't the literature and the ground experience of implementation of Panchayati Raj.


Your proposal is quite similar to the idea of empowerment of the grassroots Rahul Gandhi talked about in his CII address...

Mani Shankar Aiyar: If Rahul wants to do it, he will have to read and act upon this report. I say this not with arrogance but a fervent prayer that the son will be able to fulfil his father's dream.

You have said that outcomes are not in sync with outlays...

Mani Shankar Aiyar: Of course, outcomes are completely out of sync with outlays. But is not because of panchayati raj that this has happened. It is happening precisely because panchayati raj institutions are not being used for either bottom-up planning or last mile delivery. So long as the central government continues to rely on mutually insulated bureaucratic silos, which prevent the convergence of more than 150 centrally sponsored schemes, and the Planning Commission fails to enforce its own circulars and manuals for planning, there can be no participation of people in programmes meant for their welfare development. And if this alienation of the people from the processes of growth continues, there can be no inclusive governance. And without inclusive governance there can be no inclusive growth. And so we would continue to justify economic reforms as generating vast revenue for social sector and anti-poverty programmes but remain incapable of explaining why exponential expenditure in increases are giving virtually no outcomes.

But you have been talking about devolution for over 20 years. How much longer will it take?

Mani Shankar Aiyar: All the Centre and the Planning commission have to do is use the detailed recommendations in our report to give effect to their own policy decisions announced a decade ago. We will then get true panchayati raj and this fulfil a prediction made to me by Rajiv Gandhi in a personal conversation - that it would take at least a generation, that is 25 years, to move from getting the Constitution amended to securing effective panchayati raj. My personal target for fulfilling Rajiv's vision has always been 2018. We can get there in less than 5 years if the government acts on our recommendations.

Do you see this idea of devolution being implemented?

Mani Shankar Aiyar: I will tell you a small story. In August 2010, while releasing the Hindi version of my book on his father Rajiv, Rahul recounted a personal anecdote. He talked about when he was a part of his father's campaign trail when all of us were touring the whole of India. He said at around 5 am he was woken up by his father and Rahul asked him 'Why are we doing this? We have hardly had 3 hours of sleep. I liked it better when you were a pilot'. To this Rajiv said 'I am sorry I cannot go back. I have to do this. Because I now have belief in the people of India which I didn't have ever'. It is this continuity of thought and faith I see in Rahul's speech. There is continuity of thought but there is no continuity of circumstances.

What do mean by no continuity of circumstances?

Mani Shankar Aiyar: Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira had no opposition. Rajiv Gandhi came back with two-thirds majority. But circumstances have changed. When Rahul comes to power we will have to see whether he will be able to prioritize panchayati raj, whether his advisers would be able to put a package of devolution. I don't expect to be in Rahul's entourage but my report would be there. I hope he delivers on his promise otherwise his words to CII will remain just impressions on sands of time washed away by waves of history.

Panchayati Raj is not PM’s business

Cithara Paul:The Sunday Standard

Congress scion Rahul Gandhi may be touring the country to get “theoretical and practical understanding” of his late father’s dream project, Panchayati Raj. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh does not seem to share the same enthusiasm. The PM apparently declined the invitation to release the report ‘Towards Holistic Panchayati Raj’ written by a team headed by former Panchayati Raj Minister Mani Shankar Aiyar.