PRI UTILISATION CERTIFICATES (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 - Governance)

Context: During the financial years 2007-08 to 2020-21, Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRI) in Bihar submitted utilisation certificates (UC) for only 42 per cent of the funds received from the State Panchayati Raj Department (PRD), an audit by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has found.

• Social audit of schemes in PRIs, other than the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), had not been conducted till March 2022.
• Under Section 17 of the MGNREGA, all works executed under the program must undergo a social audit.
• Every Social Audit Unit is entitled to funds equivalent to 0.5% of the MNREGA expenditure incurred by the State in the previous year.

Panchayati Raj Institutions utilisation certificates

• A certificate of the utilization of funds at the Gram Panchayat level is to be issued by Janpad Panchayat.
• Panchayat Samiti is the other name of Janpad Panchayat.
• Panchayat Samiti has many Gram Sabha under it.
• Gram Sabha approves the work of the Gram Panchayat.
• The Zila Panchayat or District Council or Zila Parishad or District Panchayat is the third tier of the Panchayati Raj system.
• Zila Parishad is an elected body.
• Block Pramukh of Block Panchayat is also represented in Zila Parishad.
• The members of the State Legislature and the members of the Parliament of India are members of the Zila Parishad.
• Zila Parishad has a minimum of 50 and a maximum of 75 members.