Empowerment of village Panchayats

Sir,
As per a news published in this paper on October 5,2018, our State Government has empowered the village Panchayats for planning, execution and monitoring the various Government schemes and I have also gone through your editorial dated 7/10/2018 wherein you have appreciated the Government action towards empowerment of village Panchayats. In this context I would also like to comment upon the matter in a critical way.
Firstly, devolution of financial and administrative powers upon the village will also require a competent administrative machinery to handle the technical tasks including supervision and social audit of various departments.
Secondly,as most of the Panches and Sarpanches would be totally inexperienced and also having little knowledge and less education. In this way,they would not be able to perform the assigned tasks. How would an eighth failed Panch dare to enter a school ? And what suggestions and corrections can such persons can make ?
Thirdly, as per my own knowledge and experience the little experienced and less educated persons don’t hesitate to derectly indulge in corruption. In case of other democratic institutions like parliament and state legislature, the opposition parties play a significant role in controlling the Government, but there is no such provision in villages Panchayats. Who will control the functioning of village Panchayats ?
So, there should be no haste in transferring the financial powers to the Panchayats . The Gram Sabha will have to be empowered to control the functioning of village Panchayats. Hoping my suggestions on the subject will be considered.
O P Sharma
Bagnoti Nowshera.

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