The Centre has commissioned a study for evaluating the status of women members in panchayat raj (PR) institutions and also muncipal bodies across the country, Union Minister for Panchayat Raj Mani Shankar Aiyar said on Monday.

Speaking after inaugurating a workshop on “Women in Panchayat Raj” organised by the Karnataka Panchayat Parishat’s women’s wing at Ambedkar Bhavan in Bangalore, Aiyar said, the survey will be conducted by Ace Neilso and, after scrutinising the survey report a final report on this will be submitted by Prof  Neerja Gopal Jayal, Head, Centre for Law and Governance, JNU, New Delhi.Similarly, Prof Yogendra Alagh of Institute for Rural Management, Anand, has been asked to conduct an independent evaluation of panchayats’ status.

Status
The reports will enable us to get a scientific view of both the status of women as well as panchayat raj institutions in the country. The reports will be submitted on April 24, 2008, he said. Aiyar said, both the studies will enable the Centre to take steps to end exploitation of women which has been going on for the last 5,000 years.

Study
He suggested the State government to commission a similar study on the status of women in panchayat raj institutions as it is not possible for a national-level servey to carry out an indepth study of any one particular State.

Aiyar, while appeciating Karnataka for its path breaking initiative to give 33 per cent representation for women in the PR institutions, took a dig at the present State government for introducing a Bill aimed at  mitigating the powers of PR institutions by amending the Karnataka Panchayat Raj Act, 2007.

 Delay
Minister for Panchayat Raj and Rural Development C M Udasi defended  the government’s move saying the Bill had been introduced as there was delay in selecting the beneficiaries by PR bodies.

“If the bodies select the members, the government will not interefere. The government has no intention to uproot the PR institutions”, he clarfied.

Aiyar chose to offer the “benefit of doubt” to the Karnataka government with regard to the imbroglio over the proposed Karnataka Panchayat Raj (Amendment) Bill 2007. The Bill, that’s tipped to curb the local governments’ right to choose beneficiaries of PR schemes, has been returned by Governor T N Chaturvedi. Speaking to reporters after delivering a talk in the evening, the Minister urged the State to withdraw the Bill.

Action defended
Earlier, during another event, the Minister defended the Governor’s action and said the Bill was “against the spirit of the Panchayati Raj System”.

He said the Governor feared the legal impropriety of the Bill. 

Aiyar, however, said he was happy that Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy had responded to his letter and sent the Minister for Rural Development and Panchayat Raj C M Udasi to Delhi to hold discussions on the Bill.