Thursday, August 25 2005 16:30 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: The first rural business hub in the country, involving panchayati raj institutions to promote horticulture, fruit farming and other activities, would be set up in the Nainital district of Uttaranchal, Lok Sabha was informed today (Aug 25, 2005).

Rural business hubs are being set up under a joint initiative of Panchayati Raj Ministry and Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in several states, including Kerala, Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, Punjab, West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh, Panchayati Raj Minister Mani Shankar Aiyar said during Question Hour.

The initiative would give a fillip to village enterprises that add value to economic activities in rural areas. Aiyar said that on the basis of activity mapping, panchayats at various levels would be devolved functions, funds and functionaries to enable them emerge as institutions of self-government.

At a recent meeting of Panchayati Raj officials in Kochi, it was unanimously agreed to fix milestones in activity mapping and expedite the issue of necessary orders to operationalise devolution of funds and functions for different tiers of Panchayati Raj systems, he said.