Rajiv had a vision for India's development. As expected of me, I conducted several conventions about Rural Development in different parts of the country. I used to tell why it is necessary to empower people. Rajiv was busy in preparing a draft Bill to bring amendment to the Panchayat Raj Act to transfer power to the people. V.S. Rama Devi was his Legal Secretary. Later Mani Shankar Iyer came. The main purpose was to transfer funds from the Centre to Panchayat Bodies directly. No menace of middlemen. Till then, State Governments used to divert these Funds to disburse salaries and for other purposes. Elections to Grama Panchayats were not regular. Some Panchayats had not gone for elections for 15-20 years. The Bill made it mandatory to have elections to Panchayat Bodies once in five years and holding Grama Sabhas before taking up works. Rajiv Gandhi himself placed the Bill in the Lok Sabha. It was the 94th amendment to the Constitution. The Bill was passed in the Lok Sabha as the Party had 411 members. But it was defeated in the Rajya Sabha by one vote. Rajiv Gandhi was very upset.

This is the reason he dissolved the Parliament. He made the issue of Rural Development and empowering Panchayat Bodies an Election issue. He was committed to amend the Act. But Congress did not get majority in 1989 elections. It only won 211 seats. Though Congress emerged as the single largest Party, Rajiv refused to form the Government. V P Singh formed the Government with the help of other parties. He did not make any effort to amend the Panchayat Raj Act.

In the meantime, Rajiv Gandhi was killed (on May 21, 1991). Congress returned to power with a simple majority under the leadership of P V Narasimha Rao. He ensured that the amendment Bill was passed in both the Houses. I was AICC General Secretary then. Rao approved the Draft prepared by Rajiv Gandhi. Now everybody is claiming credit for the amendment but it is the work of the Congress and Rajiv Gandhi is the man behind this amendment.