The Hindu Business Line : `Govt to give more teeth to panchayat bodies'

The President, Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam; the Vice-President, Mr Bhairon Singh Shekhawat; the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh; the Speaker of Lok Sabha, Mr Somnath Chatterjee; and the Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Mr Ghulam Nabi Azad, arriving at Parliament on Monday. — Kamal Narang

New Delhi , June 7

IN an effort to ensure all-round development of the rural sector, the President, Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, on Monday said that the Government would ensure that funds for all poverty alleviation and rural development programmes would go directly to panchayat bodies.

Addressing the joint session of Parliament, Dr Kalam said that the Government would lay special emphasis to bridge the rural-urban divide and abandon "the mindset that poorer quality rural infrastructure or poor products would suffice for rural consumption."

The President stressed that the Government stood committed to accelerating the pace of rural development through grassroots democracy.

"These will be empowered through effective devolution of functions, functionaries and finance to emerge as true institutions of participative democracy."

The Government would earmark at least one-third of funds flowing into panchayats for programmes relating to the development of women and children.

It would also take the lead to introduce legislation for one-third reservation for women in the Assemblies and the Lok Sabha, the President said.

Dr Kalam reiterated the Government's promise to create a climate conducive to investment in the organised sector along with vastly expanding credit facilities for the small-scale sector and self-employment.

"Manufacturing by artisans and households will be given greater technological, marketing and investment support. A major promotional package for the SSI sector will be announced soon," he said.

In addition, the Government will guarantee employment for 100 days in a year to at least one able-bodied person in each rural household, he said, adding that a National Employment Guarantee Act will be legislated soon.

On education, Dr Kalam said efforts would be made to include vocational training in secondary education and set up at least one industrial training institute in each block through public-private co-operation.

The Government will step up funding on health and education as part of its efforts to ensure social justice and equality. Over the next five years, the Government is committed to increase the public spending on health to at least 2-3 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and another six per cent of the GDP on education, the President said.

Dr Kalam said that the Government will strengthen the public distribution system particularly in the poorest and backward blocks of the country and also involve women and ex-servicemen's co-operatives in its management at the local level.

To address the problem of safe drinking water, the Centre would work with State Governments to draw up schemes to encourage harvesting of rainwater and de-silting of ponds, apart from taking measures to address the shortage of drinking water problems in drought prone areas and big cities.

The new Government will launch a comprehensive programme of urban renewal and expansion of social housing in towns and cities.

"Housing for the weaker sections in urban and rural areas will be expanded on a large scale. While undertaking urban renewal, forced eviction and demolition of slums will be avoided," the President said.

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