Gram panchayat meetings to be uploaded on E-Governance website
27 Feb, 2013The Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department has issued directions to gram sabha and ward sabha to proactively disclose their meeting proceedings in Panchmitra, which is E-Governance website of government. This step would ensure transparency in the working of Gram Panchayats and make them more accountable. Software to upload the data was already in place but was not being effectively utilised by the panchayats. The Ministry of Panchayati Raj has also advised the state governments and Union Territory Administrations to prepare an annual calendar of gram sabha meetings and to ensure at least four meetings of gram sabha. The ministry has also made it compulsory to have a video recording of all the meetings in relation to forest produce, mining and natural resources, land acquisition etc. Further the government has proposed a training to be conducted by the Department and MIS coordinators at the taluk and district level for the officials who do not know how to upload the details. It is noteworthy that several complaints had been filed regarding the irregularities in the meetings. The initiative taken to bring the details of the meetings of the gram panchayats would reduce the Right to Information (RTI) applications seeking the meeting details.