IMPHAL, June 25: The local bodies in the state are Autonomous District Council (ADC) in the hills and Panchayati Raj Institutions in the four valley districts. As per the decision taken by the state cabinet about a year back, the government has taken a stand on devolution of power to the panchayat. But in what manner has the government devolved power to the PRIs? The credibility of the government has been on a wane to a great extent. The Manipur government is requested to bring out a white paper on the PRI.
This was stated by the opposition leader Dr I Ibohalbi Singh while raising the Motion for Disapproval of Policy Cut during the discussion on Demand No. 38 for Panchayat today.
Raising the cut motion, he further said power has been devolved to five departments only under the Manipur government’s devolution of power to the Panchayat.
Only Rs 6 lakhs has been earmarked for fisheries among the said five departments. When Rs 6 lakhs is divided equally among 164 panchayats, Rs. 3, 658 only is allotted to a panchayat. What development works will a panchayat take up for fishery and the people of villages on such a meagre amount? It means that the government has devolved power to the panchayat bodies, however provision of such a meagre amount to the panchayats will only lead to demoralisation of panchayats, the MLA said.
Further appealing to the state government to devolve power to the panchayats the way the Tribal Affairs and Hills Department has devolved power to the ADCs, he further called for setting up of a separate Directorate by separating the Panchayat from the Rural Development and Panchayati Raj so as to enable the panchyats to execute their works properly.
He also demanded setting up of a consultative body so as to help the panchayats discharge their duties with the body being assigned to formulate perspective plan and policy.
Further, he made an appeal to delimit panchayat areas to make a clear cut distinction so as to resolve the problems of people residing in some parts of the four valley districts who are involved in both ADCs for hills and valley panchayats. He expressed his desire about panchayat areas to be delimited before the next panchayat election.