M A I N   N E W S

Punjab nod to panel’s report
Sharing of taxes with panchayats, civic bodies
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 9
The Punjab Council of Ministers (CoMs) at a meeting held here this evening gave a green signal to implement the recommendations of the second Punjab Finance Commission’s report pertaining to the sharing of taxes, assignment of taxes and duties and grant-in-aid to panchayats and municipal committees.

This appears to have done at the behest of Mrs Sonia Gandhi, who had recently directed the Chief Ministers of the Congress-ruled states to give financial and other powers to the panchayats and other grass root bodies as per the provisions in the Indian Constitution.

However, the government’s statement is silent about giving other powers to the panchayats and other grass root bodies. Under the provisions of the Panchayati Raj Act, the panchayats and zila parishads are supposed to be given vast powers. There are as many as 27 government departments, the control of which at the village level is to be given to panchayati raj institutions. The government statement has only mentioned about the sharing of its revenue with these bodies.

The commission had recommended that funds to the tune of Rs 1706.02 crore should be transferred to the panchayati raj institutions and urban local bodies during 2002-03 to 2005-06. The commission had also recommended that requirements of zila parishads and panchayat samities would be met from the share in auction money of liquor and excise duty on IMFL. An implementation committee is expected to be set up under the command of Chief Secretary.

The CoMs has also decided to introduce the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Bill, which was first of its kind to be introduced by any state in the country. The objective of the Bill was to restore fiscal stability in the state by fixing certain targets of fiscal adjustments and put the matching mechanism to ensure their implementation and also to provide certain automatic corrective measures in the event of macro targets of fiscal management not being achieved.

It also decided to set up a new department of NRIs affairs, to deal with the problems of Punjabis abroad. When they come to their native land, they face lot of problems.

The 10th plan worth Rs 18,464 crore prepared as per the guidelines of the Planning Commission was also approved.

Taking a significant decision, which was hanging fire for the past several weeks, the CoMs has decided to withdraw the facilities being provided to former Chief Ministers by the government. It would result into the saving of Rs 7.40 lakh per year. However, the decision of the government at the moment would only affect Mr Harcharan Singh Brar, because Mr Parkash Singh Badal, was the leader of the Opposition in state Assembly and was entitled for facilities available to a Cabinet rank minister. While Mrs Rajinder Kaur Bhattal is, at present, the Cabinet Minister in Capt Amarinder Singh’s Ministry.