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Media Resources Press Releases Press Statement Issued by Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu President, Bharatiya Janata Party Press Statement Issued by Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu President, Bharatiya Janata Party

Press Statement Issued by Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu President, Bharatiya Janata Party Press Statement Issued by Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu President, Bharatiya Janata Party

Thursday, 03 October 2002
BJP Urges a new Coctitutional Amendement for effective empowerment of Panchayati
Raj Institutions

The Prime Minister will inaugurate a conference of the Project Directors of the District Rural Development Agencies (DRDA) in New Delhi tomorrow.

This conference, organised by the Ministry of Rural Development, assumes great significance in the view of the NDA Government's intensified efforts to improve the implementation capabilities of the governmental machinery. DRDA is the nodal agency to oversee the implementation and monitoring of all the programmes and schemes for rural development.

The Bharatiya Janata Party urges the Government to use this conference to strongly re-affirm its commitment to decentralisation of the development process by effective empowerment of the Panchayati Raj Instutions. In April this year, the Ministry had organised a National Conference of the Presidents of the PRIs in New Delhi. The Conference held to mark the tenth anniversary of the historic 73rd and 74th Amendment of the Constitution, unanimously adopted a resolution urging the government to bring in a new Constitutional amendment to devolve effective administrative and financial powers on PRIs.

The Participants of this conference, who belonged to different political parties, adopted this resolution owing to their own practical experiences that even though the 73rd and 74th amendments to the constitution earmarked as many as 29 functions to PRIs, they did not provide necessary administrative and financial powers, the PRIs have been unable to discharge their Constitutional responsibilities. So, it has been a case of responsibility without authority or resources.

Addressing the Panchayati Raj Conference, the Prime Minister had announced the Government's readiness to introduce a new Constitutional amendment if other political parties were willing to support it.

The BJP feels that the forthcoming winter Session of parliament is a good occasion to deliberate this important issue. We also urge all the opposition parties to support the idea if a new Constitutional Amendment for effective empowerment of the PRIs.

Responding to the questions Mr Naidu said that Disinvestments is an accepted policy of the NDA. There is no question of going back on Disinvestments. How do you do it and what route, what mode will be decided by the government. There are no differences either in the party or in the government on this issue.

Party President advised Union Cabinet Ministers to discuss the issue in the Cabinet and not to air views publicly, because there is scope for misinterpretation and results in confusion.

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