Need to strengthen Panchayati Raj institutions in U.T.: Aiyar

Mani Shankar Aiyar, Chairperson, South Asia Foundation and former Union Minister for Panchayati Raj, on Thursday underscored the need for strengthening panchayat raj institutions in the Union Territory as that alone would guarantee power to the people.

Speaking at a seminar on Puducherry Economy: Challenges and the Way Forward organised by the Institute of Social Sciences here, he said that elections to local bodies in Puducherry were held a decade ago when he was the Union Minister for Panchayati Raj.

He recalled how people and representatives from various political parties insisted that civic polls were due for a long time. A similar assertion of rights should be made to bring about a change.

Mr. Aiyar said that Puducherry could be also upgraded into a State as it had the same population as north eastern States. The people should also be aware of their rights and privileges so that Puducherry would be a developed State.

Chief Minister V. Narayanasamy stressed the need for bridging the urban rural divide in the Union Territory and said that proper town planning was important to ensure even development in the UT. He said Puducherry had to stand on its own legs. He deplored that although several schemes were being implemented in Puducherry, the official machinery lacked the knowledge to prepare a Detailed Project Report. A number of Centrally Sponsored Schemes could be used for development of the UT.

It is indeed perplexing that while on the one hand Puducherry had the highest per capita income in the country, on the other 25 per cent of the UT’s population were in the Below Poverty Line Category.

Puducherry offers good scope for development and the government was focussing on establishment of non-polluting industries, he said. Former Member of Parliament M. Ramadass also spoke. V. Selvam, regional director, Institute of Social Sciences, felicitated the speakers.