Assembly special meet soon

Since the Cabinet Sub-Committee has submitted its report to the Chief Minister, the latter is expected to convene a special session on January 23 or 24

PLANS IN THE PIPELINE

• 7-member panel finalises recommendations
• Draft proposes indirect election of sarpanches
• Presently, sarpanch is being elected directly
• Indirect elections involve political overtones
• CM to take call on cooption of NRIs, experts, senior citizens
• Sub-Committee holds meetings for about four days
• Committee discusses proposals on PR reforms
• Focus on strengthening of Gram Panchayats
• Proposal to provide more funds, responsibilities and powers
• Executive powers sarpanches and Gram Sabha on anvil

Hyderabad: The government may hold special session of the Assembly in the third or the last week of this month for discussion and passage of the Bill on the new Panchayat Raj Act of the State.

Sources in the government informed that special session of the Assembly would be held on January 23 or 24 for two or three days to pass the Bill. The State Cabinet is likely to meet in the third week of the month to give its consent and to hold the special session of the Assembly.

The Cabinet Sub-Committee on the new Panchayat Raj Act has submitted the draft of the Bill to the Chief Minister on Saturday. The seven-member committee under the chairmanship of Panchayat Raj Minister J Krishna Rao has finalised various recommendations.

According to sources, the committee has left the decision to the Chief Minister on using indirect method for electing the sarpanch. At present, the sarpanch is being elected directly by the voters. However, a proposal has come up in the discussions that it would be better to elect the sarpanches in indirect method through the ward members. The committee left the decision to the Chief Minister on this since it involves political issues.

The decision on giving cooption opportunity to the Non Resident Indians, experts and senior citizens, apart from woman groups has also been left to the Chief Minister. The Chief Minister would take a final decision on these two issues before sending the Bill to the Cabinet.

The Sub-Committee held meetings for about four days in the last week with the officials and legal experts and elicited their opinions. The committee discussed the proposals on the reforms needed in the Panchayat Raj system of the State for their effective functioning.

It has put focus on the strengthening of the Gram Panchayats in terms of funds, responsibilities and powers. It has discussed on the executive powers to be given to the sarpanch and the Gram Sabha.

Several proposals like electing the sarpanch in indirect method, giving executive power to the sarpanch, two terms reservations in the PR posts, providing funds to the panchayats, establishing appellate authority for the benefit of the sarpanches on whom disciplinary action has been taken, and giving powers to the MPDS and Tehasildars to give permissions to the construction of more than two storied buildings have been made in the meetings. Other proposals like giving opportunity to NRIs to have cooption in the panchayats, reducing the time between one Gram Sabha and other, reducing the time for audit of the accounts of the Panchayat, entry of accounts of the village in online method and others have come up.

The committee held elaborate discussions on the proposals and finalised its recommendations. It has taken advice of the Advocate General of the State on legal aspects.

Sources in the department informed that the committee took precautions to ensure that the Bill did not go against the spirit of the 73 and 74 amendments made to the Constitution to give statutory status to the rural and urban local bodies.