Latest news with #SaptagiriSankarUlaka
Indian Express
07-08-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Standing committee flags road construction delay in LWE-hit areas
Flagging slow progress of work in Left Wing Extremism (LWE)-affected areas, a Parliamentary panel has asked the Ministry of Rural Development to adopt 'sincere innovative ideas' and guide states to ensure that road projects under Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) in those areas are completed in a time-bound manner. In its report, the Standing Committee on Rural Development and Panchayati Raj said: 'The Committee notes that Road Connectivity Project for Left Wing Extremism Areas (RCPLWEA), a very important intervention under PMGSY, was launched in 2016… The deadline for the completion of this vertical under PMGSY was March, 2020 which was extended till March, 2025. In this regard, the Committee are concerned to note that out of total of 12,228 km sanctioned road length only 9,523 km is completed as on 14th May, 2025 and length of 2,705 km is still left even after extended deadlines.' While acknowledging the challenges such as insurgency terrain and forest clearance issues, the Committee said bottlenecks can be removed by proper planning and strong coordination. 'Perhaps area specific professionals who are skilled to work in combat and insurgent zones such as Border Road Organisation might serve as a boost,' said the committee headed by Congress member Saptagiri Sankar Ulaka. Harikishan Sharma, Senior Assistant Editor at The Indian Express' National Bureau, specializes in reporting on governance, policy, and data. He covers the Prime Minister's Office and pivotal central ministries, such as the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers' Welfare, Ministry of Cooperation, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Ministry of Rural Development, and Ministry of Jal Shakti. His work primarily revolves around reporting and policy analysis. In addition to this, he authors a weekly column titled "STATE-ISTICALLY SPEAKING," which is prominently featured on The Indian Express website. In this column, he immerses readers in narratives deeply rooted in socio-economic, political, and electoral data, providing insightful perspectives on these critical aspects of governance and society. ... Read More
Indian Express
29-07-2025
- Business
- Indian Express
‘Take urgent steps to reverse this trend': Parliamentary panel flags decline in funding to rural local bodies, asks Centre to act
A parliamentary panel has flagged the 'steady decline in the allocation of funds to Panchayati Raj Institutions' and urged the Centre to take 'urgent steps' to ensure that adequate, untied, and performance-linked funds are allocated to rural local bodies. It said that failing to do so would, among other things, 'hamper their credibility as self-governing institutions'. In its report, the Standing Committee on Rural Development and Panchayati Raj said, 'The Committee notes with concern that there has been a steady decline in the allocation of funds to Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) under successive Union Budgets in recent years. This trend undermines the very foundation of fiscal decentralisation envisioned under the 73rd Constitutional Amendment and weakens the capacity of Panchayats to effectively discharge their constitutionally mandated responsibilities.' The committee headed by Congress member Saptagiri Sankar Ulaka said that the reduction in untied and scheme-based transfers 'not only restricts the ability of PRIs to address local developmental needs' but also hampers their credibility. 'In the absence of predictable and adequate financial support, Panchayats struggle to undertake essential functions related to basic service delivery, infrastructure creation, livelihood generation, and social welfare implementation,' it said. 'The Committee recommends that the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, in consultation with the Ministry of Finance and the Fifteenth Finance Commission, take urgent steps to reverse this trend and ensure that adequate, untied, and performance-linked resources are allocated to PRIs,' states the report titled 'Devolution of Funds under Panchayati Raj System'. 'Additionally, mechanisms should be developed to ring-fence PRI funds, prevent diversion by state departments, and promote transparency in inter-tier fiscal transfers,' it said. Observing that since the regular constitution of the State Finance Commission is necessary for the devolution of funds to PRIs from state finances, the committee also recommended that the Panchayati Raj ministry take up this matter at the highest level and impress upon the state governments to constitute State Finance Commissions regularly without any delay so that the flow of central grants is not stopped or minimised. The committee further noted that, as per the information provided by the ministry, only 25 states have constituted SFCs, and only nine have constituted 6th SFC. 'It is disheartening to note that some States have not even constituted 3rd, 4th and 5th SFC,' it said. Pointing out that Punjab and Tamil Nadu have shown good compliance with regard to 'constitution of SFC, report submission and laying of ATRs [action taken reports]', the committee said that states like Arunachal Pradesh and Chhattisgarh have delays or pending submission of reports and ATRs. 'Gujarat, Jharkhand and Telangana are in an early stage with reports yet to be submitted,' it said. Harikishan Sharma, Senior Assistant Editor at The Indian Express' National Bureau, specializes in reporting on governance, policy, and data. He covers the Prime Minister's Office and pivotal central ministries, such as the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers' Welfare, Ministry of Cooperation, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Ministry of Rural Development, and Ministry of Jal Shakti. His work primarily revolves around reporting and policy analysis. In addition to this, he authors a weekly column titled "STATE-ISTICALLY SPEAKING," which is prominently featured on The Indian Express website. In this column, he immerses readers in narratives deeply rooted in socio-economic, political, and electoral data, providing insightful perspectives on these critical aspects of governance and society. ... Read More
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Business Standard
28-07-2025
- Politics
- Business Standard
Surprised that PESA implementation not completed yet: Parliamentary panel
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Rural Development and Panchayati Raj on Monday said it is surprised to note that even after almost 30 years of passing the PESA Act, its implementation has not been completed yet. In an action taken report tabled in Parliament on Monday, the committee, which is headed by Congress MP Saptagiri Sankar Ulaka, said that many states still lack the necessary rules and important laws related to land, forests and minerals, which are not fully aligned with PESA. The committee in its report noted the steps taken by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj for the effective implementation of the provisions of Panchayats (Extension to the Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996, commonly known as the PESA Act. "The committee is surprised to note that even after almost 30 years of passing the PESA Act, its implementation has not been completed yet. Many states still lack the necessary rules and important laws related to land, forests, and minerals which are not fully aligned with PESA," the report said. While the committee appreciated the steps taken by the ministry, such as holding conferences, trainings of state level master trainers, preparing manuals, and including PESA in village development plans, it observed that the ministry has not shared any data or results showing whether these activities have made any impact on the ground. "...Like whether Gram Sabhas have become stronger and violations of land rights have been reduced," it said. "Therefore, the committee reiterates its earlier recommendation that the MoPR should not only focus on action-oriented capacity building, organising conferences and workshops etc., but should also resort to active and practical approach with clear goals and measurable results to achieve and also gather regular feedback from tribal communities so as to assess that PESA is properly implemented in all Fifth Schedule areas," the panel said. It also urged the ministry to conduct training at district and village level, organise awareness programmes for tribal communities and set up a system to monitor the progress. The PESA Act was enacted to extend the provisions of the Panchayati Raj system to the Scheduled Areas in the country. These areas are primarily inhabited by tribal communities and are governed by the Fifth Schedule of the Constitution. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
News18
28-07-2025
- Politics
- News18
Surprised that PESA implementation not completed yet: Parliamentary committee
New Delhi, Jul 28 (PTI) The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Rural Development and Panchayati Raj on Monday said it is surprised to note that even after almost 30 years of passing the PESA Act, its implementation has not been completed yet. In an action taken report tabled in Parliament on Monday, the committee, which is headed by Congress MP Saptagiri Sankar Ulaka, said that many states still lack the necessary rules and important laws related to land, forests and minerals, which are not fully aligned with PESA. The committee in its report noted the steps taken by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj for the effective implementation of the provisions of Panchayats (Extension to the Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996, commonly known as the PESA Act. 'The committee is surprised to note that even after almost 30 years of passing the PESA Act, its implementation has not been completed yet. Many states still lack the necessary rules and important laws related to land, forests, and minerals which are not fully aligned with PESA," the report said. While the committee appreciated the steps taken by the ministry, such as holding conferences, trainings of state level master trainers, preparing manuals, and including PESA in village development plans, it observed that the ministry has not shared any data or results showing whether these activities have made any impact on the ground. '…Like whether Gram Sabhas have become stronger and violations of land rights have been reduced," it said. It also urged the ministry to conduct training at district and village level, organise awareness programmes for tribal communities and set up a system to monitor the progress. The PESA Act was enacted to extend the provisions of the Panchayati Raj system to the Scheduled Areas in the country. These areas are primarily inhabited by tribal communities and are governed by the Fifth Schedule of the Constitution. PTI AO ARI view comments First Published: July 28, 2025, 20:30 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Mint
25-07-2025
- Politics
- Mint
Parliamentary panel flags SVAMITVA scheme's slow progress
The Standing Committee on Rural Development and Panchayati Raj has flagged the slow progress of the SVAMITVA scheme, which verifies legal ownership of rural residential land through precise mapping and issues property cards to owners. The panel, which has submitted its report to Parliament, noted that achieving full coverage by 2025 may face delays, as 30,000 villages across Indian states and Union territories have yet to be surveyed. The committee, headed by Saptagiri Sankar Ulaka, Lok Sabha member from Odisha's Koraput, urged the government to accelerate drone surveys and issue property cards by providing targeted technical and logistical support to states. Drone surveys have been completed in nearly 318,000 villages, compared to a target of 346,000 villages. The central government launched the scheme in April 2020 with the primary objective of providing property ownership records to rural households. The scheme's core focus is on surveying rural inhabited lands using drones to prepare detailed maps with ownership details, which will then be digitized and integrated into official land records. The move is expected to help villagers access credit and reduce land-related disputes. According to the initial timeline set up by the ministry of panchayati raj, states and Union territories were expected to complete drone surveys by March 2025 and the preparation of property cards by March 2026. However, the government informed the panel that despite the delay, the work in the remaining villages is likely to be completed by the end of 2025-26. The panel also pointed out that, besides slow implementation, the funds provided by the government are not sufficient. 'The committee also observed that in rural areas, there are so many complications on the title of the property due to joint or undivided families and common and community land ownership by the tribal society,' it said in the report. 'As the legal action is a state subject. These issues need due thought by the government to resolve them in a systematic and within the legal framework. For the purpose, they need to deploy adequately trained, technically and legally qualified persons, adequate funds for implementation of the same,' it added. The committee recommended that a comprehensive timeline be fixed and published state-wise, with the respective state government consulted, and its progress monitored regularly to ensure timely completion.
