Core Committee Meeting: Aiyar calls it an effort to link Panch to PM

New Delhi, Mar 13 (UNI) The two-day Core Committee Meeting to draft the charter on issues related to Panchayati Raj began in the capital today.

About 120 participants drawn from panchayat representatives from all states are attending the meeting. Each state team comprises of women, SC and ST representatives.

Addressing the opening session of the meeting Minister for Panchayati Raj Mani Shankar Aiyar called upon the participants to give their voice a shape of words in the charter and put forth their views on what is required for Panchayats.

The Minister said that five sub-committees will be formed from among the participants which will look into the issues of powers of panchayats, economy of panchayats, officials and their role in panchayats, preparation of plans and on how to make panchayat family more effective.

He said that the panchayat representatives should feel free and independent to put their ideas and opinions on paper. Once the draft charter is formulated, it will be circulated to about 2.5 lakh Gram Panchayats all over the country so that all of them get a chance to deliberate on it and give their views.

The draft would be presented during the Panchayat Convention to be held in April 22-24, 2008 for finalisation and final charter would be given to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA Chairman Sonia Gandhi.

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