Sunday, April 2 2006 11:46 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Firmly committed to implementing the Constitutional Amendment for constituting panchayats through elections, the Centre plans to give incentives to encourage states to strengthen the Panchayati Raj institutions.

Under the scheme, special financial increment would be provided to the states which implement, in letter and spirit, Constitutional provisions on Panchayati Raj as also taking steps to set up district, block and village-level planning committees to decentralise planning process at the grassroots level.

"Panchayat Empowerment and Incremental Scheme has been introduced to encourage states to implement Central scheme on strengthening Panchayati Raj institutions," Minister for Panchayati Raj Mani Shanker Aiyar told sources.

He said all states to which the Constitution's 73rd Amendment Act, 1992 applies, except Jharkhand and Pondicherry, have held elections and constituted panchayats in accordancewith the provisions of the Constitution.

Panchayat elections in Pondicherry are also likely to be held in May 2006, Jharkhand may also follow the suit, if the state government desired so, he said.

Asked if non-Congress governments were idle in implementing the Centre's scheme, Aiyar said he did not want to differentiate between Congress and non-Congress ruled states as every state has its own priorities. But everybody has to follow the Constitution.