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PROF. M. RAMADASS (PONDICHERRY): Sir, on behalf of PMK, at the outset, I would like to appreciate and applaud the United Progressive Alliance Government, headed by world-renowned economist, Dr. Manmohan Singh, ably aided and assisted by Madam Sonia Gandhi, for a simple reason that this Government accords a place of primacy to panchayati raj institutions in this country. Believing in the dictum that the development of the people signifies the development of the nation, this Government has undertaken a large number of social measures which are designed to improve the levels of living in the rural and hinter lands of this country. As a testimony of this fact, it is this Government which for the first time in the history of this country has created a separate Ministry of Panchayati Raj. Having understood the problems, the cobwebs and challenges in which these panchayati raj institutions are caught, this Government felt that they should create a separate Ministry and it has done so. Not only that, it has found a committed person, it has identified a devoted person who could man this Ministry and there was no other better person than hon. Shri Mani Shankar Aiyar who was entrusted with this task of moulding, shaping and then developing the grass-root level institutions of panchayati raj. Therefore, I appreciate this Government for creating a Ministry of Panchayati Raj.

SHRI MANI SHANKAR AIYAR: In fact, it is the other way round.

PROF. M. RAMADASS : I am sorry. There are about 2.5 lakh Panchayats and about 32 lakh elected representatives. What is gratifying is that women constitute about 37.5 per cent of these representatives. At a time when we are asking for 33 per cent reservation to women in Indian Parliament, Panchayats have shown us the way by giving 37.5 reservation. At this rate, I hope that in the next ten years at least 50 per cent of the representatives in Panchayats will be women. That will be a creditable achievement for the UPA Government.