Bhubaneswar, March 5: Even as the State government gears up to celebrate former Chief Minister Biju Patnaik’s birth centenary as Panchaytiraj Diwas, Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has alleged that panchayatiraj administration has failed miserably at grassroots level across Odisha.
“The government is observing panchayatiraj day on March 5” While village administration under three-tier panchayatiraj system has been given emphasis, the government has however kept all power in its hands without decentralising it”, said senior BJP leader Sajjan Sharma.
Addressing media persons, Sharma said, “Although, the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996 or PESA was implemented in 2006, the government is yet to prepare guidelines for the law.
The government is not exercising the power in PESA areas to stop taking loans from money lenders in villages and the illegal transfer of land belonging to ST”.
As per the central budget allocation this fiscal, each panchayat will get Rs 80 lakh for developmental work in the State. Besides, the panchayats will be benefited under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) in the current budget.
As the panchyats will get funds directly from Centre, the State government need not spend under the scheme. However, there is a need for giving rights to the panchayat representatives to take the account of funds allocated under the schemes for the development of gram panchayats, he said.
