The national conference on Panchayati Raj in Gandhinagar on Saturday has got a low response so far as only two ministers from Orissa and Goa have confirmed their participation in the event. The conference,which will be hosted by the Gujarat government,is being seen as another attempt by Chief Minister Narendra Modi to bolster his campaign for the next Lok Sabha polls. As many as 6,100 delegates including elected Panchayati Raj representatives and some IAS officers from 26 states and 4 Union Territories are expected to participate in the event. But,so far only Kalpataru Das and Laxmikant Parserkar,Panchayati Raj ministers of Orissa and Goa,respectively,have confirmed their visit. Invites have been sent to ministers of all the states, said a top official from the Panchayati Raj Department. Gujarats Panchayat and Rural Development Minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasama said,Elected representatives of all the states and many IAS officers will participate in the conference.
