Panchayat staff to come under Lokpal

BHUBANESWAR: Elected representatives and functionaries of Panchayati RajInstitutions (PRIs) and urban local bodies (ULBs) will now come under the purview of the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act.The Cabinet on Thursday approved the proposal for amendment to the OrissaLokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 1995, paving way for the new provision.Under the existing laws, Lokpal is empowered to investigate cases of corruption, favouritism and acts of injustice in certain local and publicauthorities. But PRI functionaries, including the elected representatives, hadbeen kept out of its purview. The 13th Finance Commission, while awarding a grant of Rs  2,591 crore to theState PRIs, made a precondition that the performance grant will be released only if the Government puts in place a system of independent body to look into cases of corruption and maladministration.The Centre had suggested appointment of an ombudsman in each district to redress public grievances against functionaries of the PRIs. The Government is inthe process of recruiting ombudsmen at district level to redress grievances underMGNREGS. The Finance Commission has made provision for the honorariumand other administrative expenditure of the ombudsmen.Last year, the Panchayati Raj Department had mooted an amendment to the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act to bring the PRI representatives andfunctionaries under the purview.Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik approved the proposal in November lastyear. Out of the total grant of Rs  2,591 crore to be spent over five years from 2010-11 to 2014-15, the 13th Finance Commission has earmarked` 897 crore as performance grant. It will be made available from 2011-12 basing on the performance report of the State.The Government is likely to pilot a bill in the winter session of the Assembly.