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This is an archive article published on April 8, 2002

Low on funds, FM asks MPs to bail out panchayats

Amid talks of empowering gram sabhas with powers as vast as those of Assemblies and the Lok Sabha at the panchayat presidents’ conferen...

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Amid talks of empowering gram sabhas with powers as vast as those of Assemblies and the Lok Sabha at the panchayat presidents’ conference that concluded yesterday, the softest target for tapping resources for panchayats turned out to be MPs’ and MLAs’ Local Area Development Funds.

Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha admitting that he had little money to offer, hit hard at the MPs’ and MLAs’ funds saying that it was not the MPs’ job to get the village walls mended or get the village pond cleaned.

‘‘Why have we given MPs and MLAs money for local area development? Each session of Parliament I am asked to raise the MPs fund from two crore to five or 10 crore. MLAs’ funds are also raised in the states,’’ he said. ‘‘But is it the MP’s job to mend the drains and sewers in the village?’’ he asked.

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Instead of recommending abolition of these funds, Sinha suggested that the funds, presently being spent through District Collectors, be spent through panchayats.

Defence Minister George Fernandes also took a swipe at the MPs’ and MLAs’ funds and saying ‘‘building village roads and digging ponds and repairing school walls are not the job of MPs.’’ ‘‘Let the MPs work be done through panchayats,’’ he said to a loud applause from the sarpanches.

The subject was first raised by PM Atal Behari Vajpayee himself when he inaugurated the conference on Friday. ‘‘If MPs and MLAs can have their own development funds despite there being a budget and several schemes to take care of development, why shouldn’t panchayat presidents have their own funds?’’ he asked.

Rural Development Minister Venkaiah Naidu who had organised the conference said that he would keep his fingers crossed on the subject. It has to be seen if the MPs and MLAs would support the idea of spending it through the panchayats and lesser still the idea of giving up the funds altogether.

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What was certain was that an all-party meet would be called soon to evolve a consensus on amending the Constitution to empower the panchayats. He said that he would also consult all CM on the issue.

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