Lump allocations to UPs

We think the demand for lump grants coming from the local government functionaries has got merit. The government has apparently accepted the logic for the same as is attested by the fact that lump sum allocation has been given in one district with plans to gradually encompass six other districts. But obviously, the government has adopted a slow-and-steady approach. It probably has its own reasons, but in our view, it would be too prolonged a process before lump grants become the rule to help accelerate rural development. The argument advanced by those who prefer a go-slow is that lump allocations in all districts of the country might put the development process at risk. To this we wish to say that if all the districts do receive such development allocations, it would comprise only two percent of the Annual Development Programme; 98 percent of it will remain in the government's hands.

Therefore, we fail to see where the actual worry lies. In fact, whenever and wherever a lump sum has been allocated, it has been efficiently managed and utilised; even the women UP members have competently spent the money. If we look at the issue from a global and regional point of view, we will see that countries achieving a faster development pace could only do so by virtue of a strong local self-government system. It is the same story -- be it Sri Lanka or India, nearer home. And what is a local self-government tier worth if it does not have a steady flow of quality allocations?

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