Bhopal: In a big development before Lok Sabha elections, nine district panchayat presidents joined Congress on Saturday. Media coordinator Shobha Oza said that district presidents who have joined Congress are:include Kanta Thakur of Chhindwara, Pramesh Meda of Ratlam, Mamta Patel of Katni,Raviraj Yadav of Panna, Manmohan Nagar of Bhopal, Manisha Yadav of Gwalior, Sandeep Patel of Narsinghpur, Archana Chouhan of Guna and Kavita of Shivpuri.
Oza said that about 24 janpad panchayat presidents have also joined the Congress. All these members joined Congress after a programme of Panchayat representatives held at Dushera Maidan on Saturday.
Panchayat and Development Minister Kamleshwar Patel announced that a development fund for panchayat representatives has been increased. He made this announcement at the training and capacity -building programme of Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan three-tier Panchayat Raj representatives and selfhelp groups on Saturday. After announcing the increase in funds Patel said that there are some other announcements as well but they will be made by CM Kamal Nath.
However, later when CM addressed the gathering and refused to make any announcement saying that he doesn’t believe in making announcements but rather his focus is on ensuring delivery. The development fund for district panchayat president has been doubled from Rs 25 lakh to Rs 50 lakhs; fund for vice presidents has been increased from Rs 15 lakh to Rs 25 lakh, for district panchayat member the fund has been increased from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 15 lakh, for janpad panchayat president from Rs 12 to Rs 15 lakh, for janpad vicepresident from Rs 8 lakh to Rs 10 lakh and for the janpad member from Rs 4 lakh to Rs 5 lakh.
CM Nath said that panchayat raj was weakened in last 15 years in MP. They had become rubber stamp and letter pad representatives and had lost all rights of development. But now elected representatives of panchayats will not have to run to Bhopal or make visits to the ministers as now they will be given sufficient rights so that they can develop their villages.
Nath said that Digvijaya Singh government had implemented this revolutionary constitutional amendment in MP for the first time in the whole country. The government in Madhya Pradesh will operate from rural areas.
