Dec. 26: Guwahati will host a daylong orientation programme for rural administrators on Tuesday.

The orientation programme-cum-training has been organised by the panchayat and rural development department to improve the functioning of the panchayat bodies.

Around 450 delegates, including chief executive officers, presidents, vice-presidents and members of zila parishads from 20 districts, will participate in the programme to be held at Assam Administrative Staff College, Khanapara. There are no zila parishads in Kokrajhar, North Cachar Hills and Karbi Anglong districts.

Public relation officer of the panchayat and rural development department D.. Loying said the participants would hold threadbare discussions on implementation of the centrally-sponsored Sampurn Gramin Rojghar Yojana schemes through the zila parishads.

The zila parishads will also review the implementation of various departmental schemes and chalk out new schemes, Loying said.

Chief minister Tarun Gogoi will attend the orientation programme with several of his ministerial colleagues. Several prominent social thinkers and economists will take part in the programme as resource persons. The programme will be conducted by minister of state for panchayat and rural development Ripun Bora.

Gogoi will also convene an interactive session with zila parishad members to discuss the different schemes undertaken in their districts. “The chief minister will take a feedback on the implementation of rural development programmes and devolution of power to the panchayats,” Loying said.

The orientation and training programme would help evolve better co-ordination between the district rural development agencies and the zila parishads, he added. The participants would be briefed about accounting procedures of funds in the panchayat institutions vis-à-vis Union government guidelines, the officer said. The department is planning to organise a similar programme for the elected representatives of anchalik parishads and gram panchayats, he said.