Tanwar blames Centre, state for weakening of PRIs

Our Correspondent

Kaithal, August 28

Meenaksi Natrajan, chairperson of the panchayti raj cell of the Congress, has blamed the Centre for weakening the Panchayti Raj Institutions (PRI) by reducing funds allocated to rural development.

She was speaking at a district-level meeting of PRI representatives here today. State Congress president Ashok Tanwar was present at the meeting.

“Rajiv Gandhi had taken several steps to strengthen PRIs. He wanted the panchayats should play a constructive role in the development of villages. Unfortunately, the Centre and the Haryana Government have weakened these institutions by increasing their control over these bodies,” said Natrajan, a former MP.

“By introducing conditions of minimum educational qualifications for contestants in PRI elections, the Haryana and Rajasthan governments had tried to create a rift between the educated and the illiterate,” the Congress leader said.

Tanwar said the government was exercising an excessive control over PRIs through bureaucrats. “Public representatives are feeling suffocated. They are unable to act of their own accord. The panchayats are awaiting funds, but the government is not serious about the development of villages,” he said.

It was shameful that PRI representatives had to look towards gram sachivs and other government functionaries to get resolutions approved, Tanwar said, adding Congress workers would visit villages and discuss these matters with representatives.

MP: People fed up with directionless govt

Kaithal: Rohtak MP Deepender Hooda has said the Haryana Government has failed on all fronts and the people were getting frustrated because of “directionless governance”. He was speaking during a rally organised by Sunita Bataan, Congress general secretary, in the district's Barsana village on Sunday. Deepender said the government had promised achhe din, but people were facing bure din. “Employees have been organising protest processions every other day. Farmers feel cheated. In two years, their produce did not fetch remunerative price. Besides, they face difficulty in getting loans from commission agents,” the MP said. He claimed the crop insurance scheme was against the interests of farmers.  oc