Panchayati Raj Ministry on verge of closure

After facing a massive budget cut last year, from Rs. 7,000 crores to Rs. 96 crores, the future of the Panchayati Raj Ministry continues to look bleak. According to few experts, soon the Ministry will be closed down and turned into a department under the Ministry of Rural Development.

Present scenario:

With no funds in hands, the ministry is acting like an advisory body. The government had also recently shuttered two of its key programmes — the Backward Regions Grants Fund (BRGF) and the Rajiv Gandhi Panchayat Sashaktikaran Abhiyan (RGPSA). Also, in view of the budget cuts, the Ministry recently realigned its mandate from financing panchayats to capacity-building and training.

Background:

Ministry of Panchayati Raj looks into all matters relating of Panchayati Raj and Panchayati Raj Institutions. It was created in May 2004.

• With the passage of 73rd and 74th amendment act of the Constitution of India, in 1993 the division of powers and functions have been further trickled down to Local Self Governments (Panchayat at Village levels and Municipalities and Municipal Corporations in towns&large cities).
• Ministry of Panchayati Raj is responsible for the work of advocacy for and monitoring of the implementation of Constitution 73rd Amendment Act the Provisions of the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act 1996.
• One major task of the Ministry will be to ensure that the State Governments/UT Administrations devolve funds, functions and functionaries on the Panchayati Raj Institutions in the spirit of the Constitutional provisions.
• The Ministry of Panchayati Raj will also be responsible for formulation and implementation of an Action Plan for seeing PRIs to emerge as “Institutions of Local-Self Government” securing economic development and social justice in their respective areas.

Why its existence is necessary?

According to estimates, there are 58,000 gram panchayats across the country without permanent office facilities. This goes against the spirit of grass-root democracy. Hence, for the overall upliftment and development of Panchayati Raj institutions in the country the existence of ministry is necessary.