The Himachal Pradesh government has sought Rs 15.90 crore from the Centre to strengthen the Panchayati Raj institutions in the state and ensure active participation of these grassroots institutions in the process of development.
Chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal has submitted a proposal to the Panchayati Raj development minister under the Rashtriya Gram Sawraj Yojana of the ministry of Panchayati Raj to provide fund for the establishment of resource centres at the Gram Panchayat level in a phased manner. Sources told FE that the state government has proposed allocation of Rs 10.20 crore for the construction of 300 resource centres at Rs 3.40 lakh per resource centre.
The chief minister has also pleaded for liberal funds for the construction of Panchayat Ghars in the state. At present there are 3,243 Panchayats in the state and the state government has provided funds for the construction of about 1,019 Panchayat Ghars from its own resources. About 1,500 Gram Panchayats are housed in old buildings and these need to be upgraded so that regular Gram Sabha and Gram Panchayat meetings can be conducted there.
The Department of Panchayati Raj, Himachal Pradesh, has two Panchayati Raj training institutes?one at Mashobra district in Shimla and another at Baijnath district, Kangra. These institutions impart training to nearly 25,000 elected representatives of Panchayati Raj institutions and about 10,000 related officials.
Himachal has provided 50% reservation to women in Panchayati Raj institutions to ensure their active participation. The chief minister has suggested that women?s seats should not be rotated but continued for at least three terms so that they can develop a connect with the area and their electorates.
The state government has decided to provide grants-in-aid to Panchayati Raj institutions to meet the expenditure incurred by the elected representatives on travel. It has also been decided that the office bearers of the Panchayati Raj institutions would be provided travelling and dearness allowance whenever they are on official tour.
These decisions of the government would benefit 24,581 elected representatives and about 5,500 employees of the Panchayats.?
The government has launched a new scheme for providing incentive against the net fresh additional resource mobilisation by the Panchayats. Under the scheme, for every additional rupee of the net additional resource mobilisation, the Panchayat would be entitled to an equal amount from the incentive fund.
Also, incentive would be provided in lieu of the resources raised for sanitation and liquid and solid waste management and street lighting. The state government would provide double the amount realised by the gram Panchayat for this purpose.