29th Panchayat Sammelan held
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, January 30 2013:
The 29th Panchayat Sammelan wa held at Panchayat Bhavan, Porompat today.
MP Dr Th Meinya, Additional Chief Secretary Ameishing Luikham were the chief guest and president respectively.
Imphal West Zilla Parishad Ad-hakshya Ch Bijenti, Imphal East Zilla Parishad Adhakshya K Tombi, Thoubal and Bishnupur Zilla Parishad Adhakshya and Th Athoibi of RD&PR, N Bankim were the guests of honour of the function.
Manipur Panchayat Parishad General Secretary in his keynote address said, the theme of this year's Panchayat Sammelan is 'To strengthen Panchayati Raj institutions more and more' .
Saying that Manipur would become a developed State only when rural areas are developed, the General Secretary said that there is need for strengthening of Panchayat in order to bring development in rural areas.
He also urged the State Government to increase the grant-in-aid being provided to Panchayat Parishad so that it may match with the modern developmental works.
Dr Th Meinya while speaking at the function said, Panchayat bodies had been strengthened in the country with the decentralisation of power according to the Panchayati Raj Act.
Development could be brought with the sincere rendering of duties by the elected leaders and manpower of Panchayat bodies, he added.
In Manipur, spending huge amount of money in Panchayat elections and lack of infrastructure hinder development works in rural areas, he observed.
If the amount spent in Panchayat elections are not reduced, it would become a huge roadblock in bringing development, the MP opined.
K Tombi said that although Panchayat is regarded as one of the most important institutions for bringing development, power devolution to Panchayat is remaining only on papers.
There is no proper infrastructure for Panchayat bodies, he added.
Power has been not given to Panchayat regarding pesciculture, old age pension, Indira Awaj Yojana schemes and other schemes which are being run under different Departments, Tombi said.
He added that MGNREGS is the only scheme which the Panchayat enjoys full power.
In MGNREGS as well, lots of inconvenience are being faced in proper implementation of the scheme as the State Government is unable to release the fund of its share in time.