One-day Telangana Legislature session likely to pass Panchayat Bill

Hyderabad: The State government is likely to call for a one-day session of the State Legislature in the first week of December when it is expected to introduce the new ‘Panchayat Raj Bill’ to bring in reforms in rural administration.

Official sources said the new Panchayat Raj Bill would have provisions to redefine the role of sarpanches, making them both accountable and responsible for developmental works. Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao was keen on having in place a performing Panchayat Raj system and had directed the department officials to prepare the new Bill to make sure that the local bodies work efficiently, besides empowering the government to initiate action against those who fail to discharge their duties.

In view of the development, the government has reportedly cancelled foreign trip by a high level delegation led by Chief Secretary SP Singh, and instead asked the officials to give final touches to the new Panchayat Act



taking into account all components such as duties, responsibilities, funds transfers, corporate social responsibility, usage of Central funds, Finance Commission funds as also public participation.

The government is also planning to hold elections to the local bodies as early as February, 2018, well in advance of the scheduled time of July. Once it is enacted, the government will increase the number of Panchayats as assured during the 2014 elections. According to department officials, around 4,000 new village panchayats would be constituted in addition to the existing 8,654 panchayats.

After formation of new village panchayats, the list would be submitted to the State Election Commission to prepare reservations based on village-wise caste population. “It will take nearly two months to prepare reservations based on the population, and hence the government is keen on bringing in the new Act in December itself,” an official said.