Grama Panchayat Hakkottaya Andolana (GPHA) has welcomed the Gram Swaraj and Panchayat Raj Act, 2015, and have hailed the State government for its commitment towards establishing Gram Swaraj in Karnataka.
“The Act supports democratic participation and genuine political decentralisation by ensuring the participation of women, children, marginalised and vulnerable groups,” a press release said.
Andolana appreciated the Ramesh Kumar Committee, constituted to amend the Karnataka Panchayat Raj Act, for its report enabling participatory democracy and political decentralisation. “The Committee brought out a landmark report that has been hailed as a model to the entire nation,” a release signed by Damodar Acharya, Secretariat of the Grama Panchayat Hakkottaya Andolana stated.
The Act is a successful step to strengthen Gram Swaraj. It gives more power to gram panchayats in the State than ever before to act as autonomous, self-sustained governments. To implement the spirit of the Act, the members of the panchayat play a significant role. Their commitment to decentralisation, participatory democracy and adherence to the principles of the Constitution will make the Act come alive. In order to implement it, Andolana urges the government to sustain this concern and commitment, it informed.