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Congress Hails Rajiv Gandhi’s Role in Panchayati Raj on National Day

Congress celebrated National Panchayati Raj Day by crediting Rajiv Gandhi for the 73rd Amendment that empowered grassroots democracy. Jairam Ramesh highlighted that one-third of Panchayati Raj seats are reserved for women, including SC and ST communities. Manmohan Singh’s government created the Ministry of Panchayati Raj and launched MGNREGA. Ramesh emphasized the urgent need to strengthen Panchayats over merely increasing Lok Sabha seats.

Key Points: Rajiv Gandhi: Architect of Panchayati Raj Institutions

  • Rajiv Gandhi credited for 73rd Amendment
  • One-third seats reserved for women
  • 32 lakh elected representatives in Panchayats
  • Manmohan Singh created Ministry of Panchayati Raj
2 min read

Panchayati Raj institutions a gift of Rajiv Gandhi: Congress

On National Panchayati Raj Day, Congress credits Rajiv Gandhi for the 73rd Amendment empowering villages, with 15 lakh women representatives today.

"This truly transformational initiative was due wholly to the insistence and persistence of Rajiv Gandhi. - Jairam Ramesh"

New Delhi, April 24

The Congress party marked the National Panchayati Raj Day on Friday by recalling some landmark laws enacted by governments headed by Rajiv Gandhi and Manmohan Singh to boost grassroots democracy in villages.

Crediting Rajiv Gandhi for the 73rd Amendment to the Constitution on this day in 1993, Congress MP and Communications In-charge Jairam Ramesh said, "This truly transformational initiative was due wholly to the insistence and persistence of Rajiv Gandhi."

"It was he who ensured that one-third of the elected seats in Panchayati Raj institutions would be reserved for women, including for women belonging to Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe communities," said the former Union Minister.

"It was entirely his contribution that today there are around 32 lakh elected representatives in Panchayati Raj institutions, of whom about 15 lakh are women. This amendment (64th) had originally been introduced in mid-1989, but after passage in the Lok Sabha it could not pass in the Rajya Sabha because of the opposition of the BJP," said Ramesh.

Highlighting the role of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in promoting Panchayati Raj institutions, Ramesh wrote on X, "It was the Dr. Manmohan Singh government that had created the Ministry of Panchayati Raj in May 2004 and launched the historic MGNREGA in Feb 2006 that gave gram panchayats a pivotal role in planning and execution..."

Ramesh said the 73rd Amendment brought by the Rajiv Gandhi government introduced the extraordinarily detailed Articles 243-A to 243-O in the Constitution to vastly empower panchayats and make them the foundations of our polity.

"Today, there are about 2.6 lakh gram panchayats, over 6,700 intermediate panchayats, and 673 zilla parishads," he said.

In a veiled reference to the recent defeat of the amendment bill on women's quota, Ramesh said, "The further revival of panchayats (and nagarpalikas that form Articles 243-P to 243-ZG) is far more urgent than simply increasing the strength of the Lok Sabha..."

- IANS

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Reader Comments

V
Vikram M
I appreciate the historical context but can we talk about how many gram panchayats are still struggling with funds and autonomy? The 73rd Amendment was a great start but ground reality lags far behind. Panchayats often remain at mercy of state governments.
J
James A
Interesting to see the political narrative evolving. As someone who works in rural development, I can say Panchayati Raj institutions are indeed crucial but they need more than just constitutional recognition - they need real financial devolution and capacity building.
R
Rajesh Q
BJP opposing women's reservation in Panchayats back then and now claiming to be pro-women. History doesn't lie. But let's also remember that many states like Kerala and Karnataka had strong local self-government even before the amendment. Credit where due though.
P
Priya S
Jairam Ramesh correctly points out that Panchayati Raj is more important than simply increasing Lok Sabha seats. We need stronger local democracy before worrying about parliamentary numbers. The MGNREGA connection to gram panchayats is also spot on - that scheme works best when panchayats are empowered.
K
Karthik V
While Rajiv Gandhi deserves credit, let's not ignore that the 73rd Amendment was actually passed in 1992 under PV Narasimha Rao. The original 64th Amendment of 1989 failed. History is complex - many leaders contributed to this journey. Still, a transformative step indeed for rural India.

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

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