Chandigarh, August 4 - Haryana Chief Minister, Mr. Manohar Lal called upon the Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of the Zila Parishads to design a campaign to make the implementation of the seven schemes of the Gram Swaraj Abhiyan more successful. These officers will in future be designated as Chief Executive Officers, Panchayati Raj Institutions to monitor the administration of the Block Committee and Panchayats.

The Chief Minister was speaking at the one-day Orientation Workshop of CEOs of Zila Parishads at Haryana Niwas here today.

The Chief Minister said that empowerment of Panchayati Raj Institutions as per the 73rd Constitutional Amendment, did not happen as much as was required in Haryana. In states like Karnataka, Gujarat, and Rajasthan, Zila Parishads are more autonomous than in other states. Haryana will also have to move forward in this direction, although after setting an example for the country by forming educated Panchayats in the previous term, the Inter-District Council was formed for the first time by decentralizing the power to further strengthen Panchayati Raj Institutions. An initiative has been taken to empower Panchayati Raj Institutions by appointing officers of Haryana Civil Services of the Zila Parishads as CEOs separately.

He said that officers of Haryana Civil Service belonging to 2002 to 2012 cadre are present here, who are looking after the work of the CEO of the Zila Parishads, whose administrative experience is from 8 to 18 years. He called upon the officers to give a new look to the Zila Parishads based on their administrative experience. He directed the officers to prepare schemes to mobilize financial resources for the Zila Parishads and put public money to good use. Pre-audit system as in social audit and local bodies will also have to be introduced, he said.

He said that Vigilance Check will have to be conducted by the Executive Officers of the Zila Parishads to monitor the work of every department. Under the Right to Information Act, the level of the first Appellate Authority will also have to be increased and accountability of Gram Sachivs too will have to be increased.

The Chief Minister said that in view of the Rs. 20 lakh crore economic packages announced by the Central Government officers should prepare an integrated scheme of departments connected with Panchayati Raj Institutions and send it to the Central Government. There are 29 departments attached to PRI and plans for such departments should be prepared under Atmanirbhar Bharat.

He said that in addition to the Zila Parishads’ financial share from the Central and State Finance Commissions they should get their share from Stamp Duty on the same lines of Urban Local Bodies for which a scheme should also be formulated. Zila Parishads should be allocated a budget of Rs 250 crore, for which the officers should ensure that every Zilla Parishad, Panchayat and Block Development Committee prepare estimates accordingly.

The Deputy Chief Minister, Mr. Dushyant Chautala who also holds the portfolio of Development & Panchayats Department, said that it is for the first time the CEOs who have long administrative experience have been appointed independently in the ZIla Parishads. He said that Sirsi village of Karnal district was declared Lal Dora free on January 26, which was mentioned by Prime Minister, Mr. Narendra Modi in the address to the country on the occasion of National Panchayati Raj Day and had asked other states to follow it. The Deputy Chief Minister said that officers should develop a model of Zila Parishads, which should become a talking point in other states.

The meeting was attended by the Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister, Mr. Rajesh Khullar, Additional Chief Secretary, Finance Department, Mr. TVSN Prasad, Additional Chief Secretary, Woman and Child Development Department, Mr. Amit Jha, Principal Secretary, Social Justice & Empowerment Department, Mr. Anand Mohan Sharan, Additional Chief Secretary to Govt., Haryana, School Education Department, Mr. Mahavir Singh, Principal Secretary, Development and Panchayats Department, Mr. Sudhir Rajpal, Director, Rural Development, Mr. Hardeep Singh, Director, Development & Panchayats Departments, Mr. Sushil Sarwan, Director General, Agriculture, Haryana & Secretary Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Department, Mr. Vijay Singh Dahiya and other senior officers of other departments and Chief Executive Officers of all the Zila Parishads were present.