Two-child norm not desirable for panchayat elections: Aiyer

New Delhi, Mar 18 (UNI) Union Minister for Panchayati Raj Mani Shankar Aiyer today said enforcing two-child norm on those contesting panchayat elections will not yield desired results.

Given norms of Indian society, he said, women may be adversely affected.

Mr Aiyer was replying after a discussion in the Rajya Sabha on the working of the Ministry for Panchayati Raj Institutions and Rural Development.

He said crores of Indians do not follow personal lives of politicians in matter of reproduction. There are 32 lakh elected representatives of panchayats across the country, said the minister.

During the discussion, members of the Rajya Sabha demanded strengthening of panchayati raj institutions and village bodies to remove the rural-urban divide.

Mr Mangani Lal Mandal (RJD) said self-help groups should be encouraged and a target given to them for bringing about development in rural areas.

Drawing a parallel between India and China, he said while China had fixed the target of 2010 for bringing the BPL to zero, there was no such plan in India.

Regretting that Mahatma Gandhi's vision of ''village republics'' had not been fulfilled, he said although the government had launched poverty alleviation schemes from time to time, these were not of much use since there was no proper implementation and monitoring.

Mr V Narayanswami (Congress) X X X Editors: pick up para seven of PAR 19, PANCHAYATI RAJ RS.

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