Question : Funds Gram Panchayats

(a) whether it is a fact that the Government has suggested that gram panchayats may lease their assets to raise their own revenue;

(b) if so, the details thereof along with the reasons therefor;

(c) the details of the advisory issued by the Government recently to gram panchayats suggesting a number of activities to be done across the country;

(d) whether there is any hindrance to the infrastructural and developmental activities of the gram panchayats due to lack of adequate financial resources or delay in release of funds by the Government and if so, the details thereof; and

(e) the details of the measures being taken by the Government to ensure timely and adequate fund availability to the gram panchayats in the country?

THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR PANCHAYATI RAJ

(SHRI KAPIL MORESHWAR PATIL)

(a) & (b) Ministry of Panchayati Raj (MoPR), in its advisory dated 16.08.2021 issued on the subject of ‘Making Gram Sabha Vibrant’, has suggested a sample calendar indicating the month-wise topics to be covered for discussion in the Gram Sabha agenda. In this calendar, one of the subjects suggested for review by the Gram Panchayat is also lease of common property assets for improving panchayat’s Own Sources of Revenue (OSR).

(c) In the MoPR advisory dated 16.08.2021 on the subject of “Making Gram Sabha Vibrant’, several suggestions have been made, prominent amongst them being the restructuring of the frequency and methodology of conduct of the Gram Sabha meetings, the contents of the agenda and nature of deliberations in Gram Sabha meetings, participation of district/block administration officials in the Gram Sabha meetings, awareness creation measures to ensure enhanced participation of eligible citizens in Gram Sabha and the support systems to be developed in terms of strengthening the sub-committees of the Gram Panchayats.
It has also been suggested that an annual calendar be drawn up in advance for the Gram Panchayats (GPs) in the State/UT for the Gram Sabha meetings, for which an indicative month-wise topics to be covered for discussion in the Gram Sabha agenda has also been suggested. It has been suggested that the ward members of the GP should be invariably made a member of at least one of the sub-committees and the active participation of the ward members in the day to day affairs of the GPs may be ensured by assigning them duty, by rotation, for the upkeep and functioning of the GP office.

(d) and (e) Article 243G of the Constitution provides for powers, authority and responsibilities of Panchayats wherein it prescribes that the Legislature of a State may, by law, endow panchayats with such powers and authority as may be necessary to enable them to function as institutions of self-government and such law may contain provisions for the devolution of powers and responsibilities upon panchayats, at the appropriate level, subject to such conditions as may be specified therein, with respect to-
• the preparation of plans for economic development and social justice;
• the implementation of schemes for economic development and social justice as may be entrusted to them including those in relation to the matters listed in the Eleventh Schedule.
These provisions enable the Panchayats to implement adequate infrastructural and developmental activities with the funds devolved to them. Under the Fourteenth Finance Commission for the award period 2015-2020, Grants of Rs. 2,00,292.20 crore were allocated to the Gram Panchayats in 26 States which was more than three times the corresponding allocation of Thirteenth Finance Commission. Under Fifteenth Finance Commission, Grants to the tune of Rs. 60,750 crore are allocated for the interim period FY 2020-21 and Rs.2,36,805 Crore are allocated for the period FY 2021-26 to Panchayats in all the three tiers and Traditional Local Bodies and Sixth Schedule areas in 28 States. The Grants are in two parts, namely, Basic (Untied) Grants and Tied Grants. The Untied Grants can be utilised for felt needs on 29 subjects enshrined under Schedule XI of the Constitution. The Tied Grants are to be utilised for the national focus areas of Water and Sanitation. Details of the State-wise allocation and release of Fourteenth Finance Commission and Fifteenth Finance Commission Grants are given at Annexure-I and Annexure-II respectively.

Release of grants under the Fifteenth Finance Commission is subject to submission of utilization certificates / grants transfer certificate for the previous instalments drawn along with compliance of other stipulated conditions by the States. Funds under the Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Scheme are released to States on the basis of approved plans, submission of requisite documents viz. Utilization Certificate, Auditor’s Report etc and compliance of other directions as and when issued by Government of India.

***