Panchayati Raj System being ignored in UP: Aiyar

Sultanpur, Feb 17 (UNI) Union Panchayati Raj and Sports minister Mani Shankar Aiyar today said the Panchayati Raj System, which was started by Late Mr Rajiv Gandhi, was being ignored in Uttar Pradesh.

The panchayats were not working towards the development of villages according to the schemes, Mr Aiyar said addressing mediapersons here.

''The 11th Finance Commission desires that a good amount should be spent on facilities like drinking water and sanitation...handpumps were to be installed at the district level, but the state government was getting the work done through MLAs,'' Mr Aiyar added.

All this was marring the effective implementation of the Panchayati Raj System, he underlined.

The minister also noted that only 15 per cent of the allotted fund was being utilised properly.

Mr Aiyar added that he was inspecting the Panchayati Raj system across the country under a campaign. He had already visited 22 states and was still to come in UP.

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