Thursday, March 30 2006 14:59 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Gangtok: Union Minister for Panchayati Raj Mani Shankar Aiyer arrived in Sikkim today (Mar 2006) on a three-day visit to assess how panchayati raj institutions were functioning in the hill state.

Accompanied by joint secretary panchayati raj, T.Raghunandan and his personal secertary Ashutosh Dikshit, the union minister will visit all the four districts of the state during his trip, official sources informed.

Aiyer's itinerary includes Namchi in the south, Geyzing in the west and Lachung in the north district apart from the state capital Gangtok where he will arrive on Saturday, they said adding that he will leave for New Delhi on Sunday.

The state government has been projecting strengthening of the panchayati raj institutions and devolution of major powers to them as one of its biggest achievements in recent years.