Iyer exhorts Panchayat members to fight 'Amendment'

Bangalore, Aug 13 (UNI) Union Minister for Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Mani Shankar Iyer today exhorted the panchayat members in Karnataka to fight against the State Government's move to amend the Panchayat Raj Act, ''undermining the rights and powers'' of the elected representatives at the grassroot level.

Speaking at a workshop for women Panchayat members of Zilla Panchayat, Taluk Panchayat and and Gram Panchayats here, he said ''Don't allow MLAs and MLCs to set an agenda for you. There are only 300 odd such members and you are in lakhs. If you don't protest, the Act will be amended and the fault will be entirely yours.'' There have been widespread protests by the Panchayat members in Karnataka on the amendment bill, which had been passed in both the Houses of the State Legislature but returned by Governor T N Chaturvedi for reconsideration.

''If the government returns the bill to the Governor, he will have no choice but to accept this. Don't let this happen,'' he told the women representatives.

Mr Iyer said the Centre was coming out with separate reports on the status of women in Panchayat Raj system and the state of panchayats in the country. The first report would deal with issues on how women had fared in Panchyat Raj institutions and steps needed to be initiated by the government, while the other one was an independent analysis.

These reports would be submitted to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, he added.

UNI