BHUBANESWAR: The state government has decided to empower the Panchayati raj institutions further by implementing the recommendations of the inter-ministerial committee headed by Finance Minister Niranjan Pujari on devolution of power. The committee will also examine and recommend to the government for a final decision in this regard.
The decision was taken a meeting of the State Cabinet presided by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. Sources said all assets of primary and upper primary, aided primary and upper primary schools of the Government will be transferred to gram panchayats. New construction and maintenance will be carried out by panchayats.
Assets of government and aided high schools will be transferred to panchayat samitis, while government aided higher secondary schools upto Class XII will be transferred to the Zilla Parishad which will be responsible for any new construction and maintenance. Government higher secondary schools will remain with Schools and Mass Education department and any new construction and maintenance, though, will be done by the Zilla Parishads.
Similarly, assets of the sub-centres under the Health and Family Welfare department will be transferred to the panchayats too but new construction will be taken up and funded by panchayat samitis. Assets of primary health centres in rural areas will be transferred to panchayat samitis which will be responsible for maintenance and new construction. The community health centres will also be transferred to panchayat samitis but new construction will be taken up by the Public Works Department (PWD) and handed over to panchayat samitis for maintenance.
In the sub-divisional headquarters and district headquarters hospitals, new construction work will be executed by the PWD/Rural Development department with funding from the Health and Family Welfare department. The maintenance will be done by the PWD/RD with funding by Zilla Parishads. Assets of the livestock aid centres will be transferred to the gram panchayats with responsibility of maintenance.
New construction will be taken up by the panchayat samitis. Assets of anganwadi and mini-anganwadi centres will be transferred to panchayats with responsibility of maintenance. However, new construction will be taken up by the panchayat samitis. The Cabinet is also reported to have decided to check flow of river water to sea by constructing barrages for which Rs 11,700 crore will be spent in six years. However, details about the programme were not available.
Who gets what
Gram panchayats: Assets of primary and upper primary, aided primary and upper primary schools
of the government; sub-centres under Health and Family Welfare department; livestock aid centres
Panchayat samitis: Assets of Government and aided high schools; primary health centres in rural areas and CHCs; veterinary dispensary