Assent to Arunachal Panchayati Raj Bill

ITANAGAR, April 26: There appears to be a new ray of hope for the re-introduction of Panchayati Raj institutions in this frontier state within a year following the assent to the Arunahcal Pradesh Panchayati Raj Bill 1997 by the President of India recently. Informing this to mediapersons here on Wednesday, state Panchayati Raj Minister Talo Mugli said that now the Centre has facilitated the state government to hold the three-tier Panchayati Raj elections within a year. "Action has already been initiated in this regard, apart from the machineries being geared up to take up the challenge to reintroduce the Panchayati Raj system in the State within one year," the minister said. However, he did not disclose the exact date of holding the elections by saying that the government would have to set up a state Panchayati Raj commission and finance commission. And while doing so it may take nearly a year. The last panchayati elections were held in the state in 1992 as per the NEFA Panchayati Raj Act 1967. Following the expiry of its tenure the state government extended its for another two years and kept alive the local bodies up to September 14, 1997.