SHILLONG, Sep 22: Union Minister of State for Panchayati Raj, Kapil Moheshwar Patil on Wednesday said he will discuss with the Finance Commission the possibility of a system for releasing funds directly to the Autonomous District Councils (ADCs) as in the case of the Gram Panchayats.
“I have witnessed how the ADCs that are recognised rural local bodies and the traditional institutions (village Dorbar) are doing a wonderful job in implementing the programmes for the development of the villages,” Patil told reporters after reviewing the schemes and programmes of the Ministry being implemented by the state government.
He said the Ministry will examine how funds of the 15th Finance Commission meant for local self-government for the development of the villages can be made available to the traditional village institutions in Meghalaya in the same way it is done for areas under the Gram Panchayats.
He said all possible assistance will be provided by the Panchayat Raj Ministry headed by Union Minister Giriraj Singh so that villages in Meghalaya and the other Northeastern states can effectively utilise the benefits of the Central schemes for the development of every village.
KHADC Chief Executive Member Titosstarwell Chyne said he had managed to let Patil know that the ADCs and the village Dorbars are implementing the programmes and schemes under the funds earmark by the Finance Commission.
“I have urged the Union Minister of State that funds earmarked by the Finance Commission to the ADCs should not be diverted since there is a conflict in the implementation of the schemes. We have to understand that the state is not under the Panchayati Raj system,” he said.
Patil also said the Ministry will examine the feasibility of preparing separate guidelines for the implementation of the programmes of the Ministry in the Northeastern states.
“I will ask the Union Minister if we can come up with separate guidelines for the benefit of the states in the region. I am happy with the way the centrally-sponsored programmes are being implemented in Meghalaya without the Panchayat Raj system,” he said.
Patil reviewed MGNREGA, PMAY-G, NRLM, RGSA and other flagship programmes of the Centre in the presence of Community and Rural Development Minister, Hamletson Dohling.
Patil expressed his satisfaction over the proper implementation of schemes in the state.
“I was very excited to learn how without the formal Gram Panchayats and through traditional village institutions, every member of a household in a village in Meghalaya is contributing to implementing the central and state government schemes,” he said.
On the effective management of the institutions, the minister said: “In Meghalaya, community ownership is evident in the implementation of the government schemes and this is the reason why a record amount of Rs 1,500 crore has been utilised under MGNREGA in the state.”
Earlier in the meeting, Principal Secretary of Community and Rural Development Sampath Kumar referred to the government of India’s recent survey report titled ‘Situation Assessment of Agricultural Households and Land and Holdings of Households in Rural India 2019’.
According to this report, an average farming household in Meghalaya earned about Rs 29,348 per month in 2018-19 compared to Rs 26,701 by a Punjab farming household. Patil attributed this to the effective utilisation of the government schemes such as MGNREGA and NRLM.
Patil also underlined the benefits of Swamitva Yojana, which aims to create a record of land ownership in rural areas using modern technology.
He said that a property card for every property in the village will be prepared by states using accurate measurements delivered by drone mapping. These cards will be given to property owners and will be recognised by the land revenue records department.
Referring to Meghalaya where the lands are generally scattered, Patil appealed to the state government to devise a policy for providing property cards to villagers.
“The delivery of property rights through an official document will enable villagers to access bank finance using their property as collateral,” he added.
