Aiyar works on Panchayat Report

Mani Shankar Aiyar is the original architect of the panchayati raj system, which is best symbolised by celebrating every year as Panchayat Raj Day on April 24. As an aide of Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi's PMO during 1984-89, Mani Shankar was the brain behind the panchayati raj reforms of Rajiv Gandhi.

He attempted 63rd and 64th Constitutional Amendment on Panchayati Raj, which was defeated by the Opposition. After the tragic assassination of Rajiv Gandhi in 1991, Aiyar continued his association with panchyati raj. Prime Minister P V Narasimha Rao passed the 73rd and 74th Constitution Amendment on Panchayati Raj, which came into force on April 24, 1993. Every year, April 24 is celebrated as Panchayati Raj Day.

Panchayati Raj Minister V Kishore Chandra Deo appointed Aiyar as head of the Expert Committee on Panchayati Raj. This year, on April 24, Aiyar Report will be submitted to Panchayati Raj Minister Kishore Chandra Deo. Aiyar has a dream � to somehow overcome the hitch of the federal structure, so that each village panchayat open its own bank account and the Centre directly transfers money to it, removing leakages. Then each village panchayat can start planning at the grassroots level and achieve development.