Kolkata, July 20: The West Bengal Assembly is set to introduce a new bill aimed at reducing the powers of Panchayat heads as “signing authorities” in the state.
Once passed, the bill will strip Panchayat heads of their authority to approve funds for Panchayat-related activities. These powers will instead be transferred to government officials. This announcement was made by the Minister of Panchayat Affairs and Rural Development, Dilip Ghosh, during a discussion on budget allocations for his department on the first day of the budget session.
Ghosh also mentioned that the new bill will be presented within the next two weeks.
Currently, most elected bodies under the three-tier Panchayat system are controlled by the previous ruling party, the Trinamool Congress (TMC). However, following the TMC’s significant defeat in the recent West Bengal Assembly elections, many Panchayat heads have gone missing or are unreachable, complicating the approval process for essential public service tasks.
With the next elections for the three-tier Panchayat system scheduled for 2028, the decision to transfer the responsibilities of “signing authorities” from elected Panchayat heads to government officials is deemed necessary to ensure the smooth operation of rural citizen services.
Ghosh addressed questions raised by opposition legislators Sabina Yasmin, Sameer Jana, and Bina Mandal regarding the reduction of powers for elected Panchayat heads as “signing authorities.” He emphasized that providing services to the public is the duty of elected Panchayat heads. Ghosh stated, “Either come to the office and fulfill your responsibilities or resign. If you do neither, we will have no choice but to bring you in, make you sign, and ensure that people are not deprived of services.”
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