Bengal Assembly passes Panchayat (Amendment) Bill to curb corruption, revive defunct bodies
(File Photo)The West Bengal Panchayat (Amendment) Bill, aimed at temporarily transferring exclusive authority to sign financial documents from pradhans to panchayat secretary and assistant secretary, was passed in the Assembly on Saturday. The Bill mandates that in the absence of both the pradhan and upa-pradhan for more than 15 days, and if none of the elected members agrees to take charge, the authority can appoint an extension officer or an officer of a higher rank as the administrator for a maximum period of 30 days. During this period, the administrator will exercise all powers and perform all functions of the gram panchayat.According to the government, it was forced to bring these amendments because many panchayats became defunct after TMC lost in the Assembly election. The Bill also aims to curb corruption at the panchayat level. “Provided that in case of non-availability of Pradhan and Upa-Pradhan for more than fifteen days, affecting the public services and unwillingness of any of the members to take the charge of Pradhan and Upa-Pradhan, the Prescribed Authority may appoint an officer, not below the rank of an Extension Officer, to be designated as Administrator for a period of thirty days at a time to remove the hardship of the people and stagnation of the Gram Panchayat,” the Bill states. “Explanation, during the incumbency of the Administrator, the Gram Panchayat body and the Upa-Samitis will be in a state of temporary moratorium and all the powers, duties and functions of the Pradhan, Gram Panchayat or its Upa-Samitis shall be exercised, discharged or performed by Administrator,” it adds. “Provided also that when meetings of Gram Panchayat could not be held under this section for two consecutive months due to absence of Pradhan and Upa-Pradhan, Secretary of the Gram Panchayat shall convene meeting and take necessary action after taking approval of the concerned Block Development Officer in writing and at such meeting the Block Development Officer may engage an observer not below the rank of an Extension Officer and the Executive Assistant shall attend the meetings of Gram Panchayat and participate in the deliberation thereof,” it adds. To curb corruption, the Bill mandates the executive assistant’s signature on all payment orders issued from the gram panchayat fund, while cheques will require the joint signatures of the executive assistant and the secretary of the respective gram panchayatStory continues below this ad “In accordance with the powers and functions conferred on the Pradhan under the Act and the rules made thereunder and subject to such general control as the Gram Panchayat may exercise from time to time, all orders for payment from the Gram Panchayat Fund shall be signed by the Pradhan, or in his absence, by the Upa-Pradhan and in pursuance of such orders of payment, cheque or cheques shall be signed jointly by the Pradhan, or in his absence, by the Upa-Pradhan and by the Executive Assistant of the Gram Panchayat.” The bill further states, “It will be the duty of the Executive Assistant to submit the monthly income and expenditure report to the Pradhan of Gram Panchayat and the Pradhan will be responsible to place it before the Gram Panchayat and the concerned Executive Assistant will be responsible to place it before the concerned Block Development Officer in a regular manner.”. Higher Education Minister Jagannath Chattopadhyay said, “We have no intention to squeeze democratic space of the panchayat. The TMC government looted in the name of panchayat. If we will regularise panchayat elections, the Act can be amended.” Slamming the government, ISF MLA Naushad Siddiqui said, “It is basically an attack on democracy. The TMC government started it and the BJP government is carrying it forward.”
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