Question : Performance of PRIs

(a) whether the Government has reviewed the performance of the Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs);
(b) if so, the details and the outcome thereof including the various deficiencies noticed in the functioning of PRIs;
(c) the details of funds allocated and released to the States under various schemes/ programmes of the Ministry during each of the last three years and the current year, State-wise including Chhattisgarh;
(d) whether the State Governments are utilizing the released funds as per the set norms and if so, the details thereof including the status of furnishing utilization certificates by the States, State/ UT-wise and if not, the corrective measures taken by the Government in this regard; and
(e) whether the Government proposes to organise any programme to make panchayat representatives and officers aware of their duties and responsibilities and if so, the details thereof?

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF PANCHAYATI RAJ
(SHRI PARSHOTTAM RUPALA)

(a)& (b) Ministry of Panchayati Raj (MoPR) has been reviewing performance of Panchayati Raj Institutions from time to time, through studies and discussions in review meetings with the States. The performance of the Panchayats depends on the extent of powers and resources devolved to them, which varies from State to State. The Ministry of Panchayati Raj (MoPR) has been undertaking, the preparation of a Devolution Index (DI) from 2006 onwards, through independent institutions, which ranks States on the basis of enabling environment that has been created in the States. For 2015-16, the MoPR entrusted the preparation of Devolution Index to the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) which was released by the Honourable Prime Minister on the National Panchayat Diwas on 24th April, 2016.

To assess the level of decentralization and performance of Panchayats in the States through an Expert Group and prepare a roadmap for the future, consistent with the individual State’s policies and priorities, States were requested to constitute an Expert Group consisting of professionals, experts from different walks of life, officials and senior political leaders with experience in Panchayati Raj and bring out the road map. So far States of Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan have intimated about the setting up of Expert Group for the respective States.

(c) Ministry of Panchayati Raj was implementing two major Schemes, namely Rajiv Gandhi Panchayat Sashaktikaran Abhiyan (RGPSA) and District Component of Backward Regions Grant Fund (BRGF). The State Component of RGPSA and the District Component of BRGF has been delinked from budgetary support of Central Government w.e.f. 2015-16. The details of funds allocated/sanctioned and released by various States including Chhattisgarh during the last three years and current year under RGPSA/Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (RGSA)(for current year only) and BRGF programmes are at Annexure I and II respectively.

(d) The States are utilising the funds as per guidelines and also in line with the specific observations of Central Executive Committee (CEC), if any, while approving the respective proposals under RGPSA. Under BRGF, utilisation of funds was regularly monitored through various documents viz. periodical physical and financial progress reports, utilization certificates, audit reports of statutory auditors, etc., submitted by the State Governments. Guidelines also provided for audit of works through a Review Committee at the District Level and Social Audit and inspection at the Panchayat levels. The utilization is also reviewed at the Ministry level in the meetings of State Panchayati Raj Secretaries. The utilization status of funds released under RGPSA/RGSA and BRGF are also given at Annexure I and II respectively.

(e) The Ministry of Panchayati Raj (MoPR) has been providing financial assistance to States for imparting training to Elected Representatives (ERs)/ Panchayat Functionaries of Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) on wide ranging topics relevant to their functioning including duties & responsibilities of ERs of PRIs.