Backward status to Karaikal under consideration: Minister

Chennai, Aug 20 (UNI) Union Panchayat Raj Minister Mani Shankar Aiyar today said the Centre would consider declaring Karaikal region in the Union Territory of Pondicherry as a backward region.

''If a proper case is made out, the union government will consider declaring Karaikal as a backward region'', he said, inaugurating the Bharat Nirman Public Information Campaign at Karaikal, about 400 km from here.

Mr Aiyar was responding to a request made by one of the speakers at the function.

Urging the panchayats to play a crucial role in the successful implementation of the Centre's flagship programmes like Bharat Nirman and the National Rural Employment Guarantee Schemes, he said panchayats have an important role to ensure that deserving people get the benefits under these schemes.

Expressing happiness that the Union Territory of Pondicherry had now joined the mainstream of panchayat raj institutions, Mr Aiyar said an expert committee, headed by Secretary in the Panchayat Raj Ministry Ms Meenakshi Dutta, would visit Pondicherry and prepare an 'activity map' outlining the duties, responsibilities and the works to be undertaken by Panchayats.

The Minister also released a booklet in Tamil on Bharat Nirman, brought out in simple conversational style by Press Information Bureau.

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