Tripura govt gives more power to Panchayats

Agartala, May 23: Chief Minister Manik Sarkar today announced the decision to hand over the management of primary to higher secondary schools of the state to the village panchayats.

This decision was taken as a part of Tripura good governance programme, official sources added here.

Talking to new persons here the chief minister said that the state cabinet had resolved to entrust the full-authority of the management as well as development task of the schools under both education and social welfare department to panchayats.

''This is mainly a test case for the local self-government. If they can successfully run the administration, the state government will give them more management power of some other government departments,'' Mr Sarkar said.

According to the decision, village panchayats will be responsible for transferring the teachers from one school to other while the panchayat chief (Villager Sarpanch) will reimburse the salary of the employees from next month onwards.

Tripura government has been working for incorporating grass-root level people in the planning process and ensuring more autonomy to the local self-governments in three-tire panchayat system since the past five years, Mr Sarkar said.

He stated that the cabinet has approved the proposal of handing over the management of seven important departments including forest, agriculture and water resource in interior locations of the state to Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC).

The decisions were taken to enhance the Panchayat Raj system and to offer a vibrant administration to village people, chief said, adding that it would definitely satisfy the citizen.

UNI