It has also asked the state governments to make ad hoc arrangements to provide funds to these bodies, pending finalisation of the finance commissions recommendations.
It has urged the states to take immediate steps to set up district planning committees and involve the panchayati raj institutions in the planning process.
The committee, consisting of panchayat ministers from Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Mizoram, Orissa, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh, met here yesterday under the chairmanship of Union rural areas and employment minister K Yerrannaidu.
The committee reviewed the progress in the implementation of various provisions of the Panchayati Raj Act, including holding of elections and devolution of powers, functions, responsibilities and finances.
Although finance commissions have been set up in all the states, many of them are yet to submit their reports on sharing of revenue. The states where the reports have already been submitted include Punjab, Rajasthan, Assam, West Bengal, Kerala, Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh.
The central finance commission has recommended an ad hoc grant-in-aid of Rs 4,380.93 crore for panchayats in four equal annual instalments starting from the current year. The Centre has already issued guidelines to the states for utilising these grants.
Yerrannaidu told the committee that states should be asked to actively involve people in the formulation of the ninth plan. The state annual plans should have a panchayati raj component and the Planning Commission should insist on this requirement while making annual plan allocations to the states.
He pointed out that the provisions concerning self-governance contained in Part IX of the constitution and its 5th schedule needed to be harmonised. The matter was being examined and a solution was expected very soon, he said.
We will be in a position to introduce a bill in the next session of Parliament, enabling the state governments to further legislate on the extension of Panchayati Raj to the 5th Schedule, he said.
Agreeing to Yerrannaidus suggestion, the national committee strongly recommended that the states should strengthen the institution of Gram Sabha (village assembly) through legislative measures to ensure that it met regularly and functioned effectively.
The Gram Sabha provided a forum for all the villagers to articulate their needs and priorities as also to oversee the functioning of the village panchayats to ensure transparency and accountability in their working. This institution, indeed, constituted the core of democratic decentralisation.
