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8. It came to the notice of the Parliamentarians that though Panchayati Raj institutions have been in existence since long but those institutions have not been able to acquire the status and dignity of viable and responsive people's bodies due to a number of reasons, including the absence of regular elections, prolonged supersessions, insufficient representation of weaker sections like the Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe and women, inadequate devolution of powers and lack of financial resources (emphasis added). It was in this background, by 73rd Amendment a new Part relating to Panchayat was added to provide amongst other things Gram Sabha in a village or group of villages; constitution of Panchayat at villages or other levels; direct election to all seats of Panchayats and villages and intermediate levels, etc., and devolution by the State Legislature of powers and responsibilities upon Panchayats with respect to preparation of plans for economic development and social justice and for implementation of the development scheme, sound finance of Panchayats by securing authorisation from the State Legislature for grants-in-aid to the Panchayat from the Consolidated Fund of the State, as also assignment to, or appropriation by, the Panchayats of revenues of designated taxes, duties, tolls and fees, etc. Part IX, Article 243 to 243-O was inserted by the 73rd Amendment.