'Only 4 departments delegate power to panchayats in Jharkhand'

Only four government departments have delegated power to the panchayats even as elections to the three-tier grassroots democratic bodies were held around two years ago.
This was informed by Madhukar Gupta, Adviser to Jharkhand Governor Syed Ahmed, during the course of his speech at the Tribal Research Institute here on the occasion of Panchayati Day.
Four departments have delegated powers at the panchayat level, and efforts were on for the rest departments to follow suit, an official release said quoting him.
The elections to electoral bodies at the grassroots had been held during the erstwhile Arjun Munda government and it had also announced devolution of power by several government departments then.

Gupta said there was proposal to construct buildings to house the panchayats and equip them with computers under the Rajiv Gandhi Panchayati Raj Empowering Campaign.
Computer training would be imparted to the people concerned, he said adding strengthening of panchayats was necessary for implementation of welfare programmes.
Stating that rights and responsibility are attached to each other, he said the panchayats should also rally around resources for all round development - which is not a dream, but should be an intention.
"Strong determination and commitment are necessary for development and participation of panchayats is imperative...Development at the village level is possible through self-sustenance and self-dependence," he said, adding that functioning of panchayats should be a model for others.