Thrissur: The issues faced by the marginalised and the poor can be addressed effectively through decentralisation of power, local self-government minister K. T. Jaleel has said. Speaking at Kerala Institute of Local Administration (KILA) here after inaugurating an international conference on Saturday, he said the importance of decentralised administration was of utmost importance because it could make an impact on the lives of the lower strata of society. The theme for the conference was marginalisation, poverty and decentralisation.
“The decentralised governance had been a hallmark of rural India since Vedic period, which is evident from the mention of Sabha and Samiti in our scriptures. Panch, the five representatives of the village community, continued to have autonomy in village governance. They performed not only administrative function but also judicial duties. Historical records also reveal that the position of Sabhas and Samitis and panchayats remained undisturbed till British Raj. Though different dynasties didn't affect the autonomous functions of the traditional village governance system, the British toppled it with the centralization of power,” he said.
“It was the dawn of the freedom that rekindled the hopes of decentralisation and Gandhiji played pivotal role re-establishing village autonomy through his ideal of Grama Swaraj. Nehru who adopted the Five-Year Plan from Russia introduced Panchayat Raj. The real test of the effectiveness of the mandate of the decentralisation, however, depends on the successes of states which took up this task seriously. It is now high time to evaluate the strength and weakness of the system. By introducing decentralisation, society could jointly resist the economic and political dominations of the corporate and upheld the dignity of every citizen." The minister also launched PG diploma course in child-friendly governance initiated jointly by KILA and UNICEF. Bangladesh rural development minister Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, chief secretary S.M. Vijayanand, Anil Akkara MLA, KILA director P.P. Balan, and other foreign dignitaries were present.
