Are BJP, Congress serious about the fiscal autonomy of gram panchayats?

Transferring items from Concurrent list to State list is not enough to give more powers to the latter

The Bharatiya Janata Party, which leads the ruling coalition at the Centre, has promised steps to facilitate fiscal autonomy for panchayati raj institutions (PRIs) and to ensure their sustainability in its manifesto for the ongoing Lok Sabha elections.

The Congress Party, the principal opposition, in its manifesto pats itself on the back for the 73rd amendment – coming into effect in April 1993, it empowered the state governments to formalise gram panchayats and help them operate as units of 

self-governance – and vows to prevail upon the states to implement those provisions in letter and spirit, and also to devolve funds,