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LOCAL SELF GOVERNMENT IN RURAL INDIA
AN INTRODUCTION TO PANCHAYATI RAJ
Panch anchay ayat ats s have have been been the the back backbo bone ne of the the India Indian n vill villag ages es sinc since e the the beginning of recorded history. Gandhiji, the father of the nation, in 1946 had aptly aptly remar remark ked that that the Indian Indian Indepe Independe ndence nce mst mst begin begin at the bottom and every village oght to be a !epblic or Panchayat having po"e po"ers rs.. Gand Gandhi hiji# ji#s s drea dream m has has been been tran transl slat ated ed in to reali eality ty "ith "ith the the introdction of the three$tier Panchayati !aj system to ensre people#s participation in rral reconstrction. reconstrction. %he constittion of free India envisaged organi&ation of village Panchayats and endo" those "ith sch po"ers and athority as may be necessary to enab enable le them them to fnc fncti tio on as nit nits s of 'ocal cal self elf gove goverrnmen nment. t. %he government of India set p a committee in (ne 19)6 "hich recommended the Panchayati !aj instittions shold be constittionally recogni&ed, protected and preserved. 'ate *hri !ajiv Gandhi+s government government accepted the recommendations recommendations of the ommittee and broght for"ard the 64th onstittional -mendment ill. t the ill cold not been acted. Panchayati !aj Instittions "ere constitted in the varios states bt it cold not live p to the e/pectations for varios reasons. reasons. 0eeping in vie" the past e/periences, it become imperative to provide cons consti tit tti tion onal al stat stats s to loca locall self self gove goverrnmen nmentt to impa impart rt cert certai aint nty, y, continity and strength. %hs, the constittion 2rd -mendment -ct 1993 came into eect "hich envisages envisages states to establish establish at three three tier system of strong, viable and responsive Panchayats at the village, intermediate and district level. -lthogh, the Panchayati !aj in !ajasthan enjoys good reptation bt it cold not go p to many e/pectations till today i.e., strong, viable and responsive solidarity among large nmber of masses. *itation may not improve merely by amending the -ct, 5hat is to be needed today is a change in thinking and bringing abot a sense of consciosness among the people as "ell as the administrators. e" norms norms and ethics need to be created for both "hich "ill ill sb serve the ideals of nderl erlying decentralisation. '7-' *8' G7:8!;8%
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8ven learned foreign e/perts may be invited to form opinion before stdying the sitation. or achieving better reslt sand greater commitments to P!I+s bodies. 'ike"ise, Panchayats shold be made more active and responsive so that social a"areness and consciosness cold be created at the grassroots level. It is then, that the tre ideals and e/perience in democratic decentrali&ation "old "alk hand in hand. %hen only, as ehr said,
CHARACTERSTICS
1.
- three$tier system of Panchayati !aj for all *tates having
3. 2.
poplation of over t"enty$lakh. Panchayat elections are held reglarly every = years. !eservation of seats for *chedled astes, *chedled %ribes and
4.
"omen >not less than one$third of seats?. -ppointment of *tate inance ommission recommendations
=.
Panchayats. onstittion
of
as regards the Aistrict
Planning
to
make
@nancial po"ers of the ommittees
to
prepare
development plans for the district as a "hole.
•
•
•
BASIC POWERS AND RESPONSIBILITIES Preparation of plan for economic development and social jstice to the people "ithot any discrimination. Implementation of schemes for economic development and social jstice in relation to 39 sbjects given in 8leventh *chedle of the onstittion.
%o levy, collect and appropriate ta/es, dties, tolls and fees from goods carriers.
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THREE-TIER SYSTEM OF PANCHAYATI RAJ
a? Village level panchayat . b? Block (intermediate) level panchayat. c? District level panchayat.
a? :illage level panchayatB$
It is called a Panchayat at the village level. It is a local body "orking for the good of the village. %he nmber of members sally ranges from to 21C occasionally, grops are larger, bt they never have less than members.
b? Intermediate level panchayatB$ Panchayat samitis a local government body at the tehsil or %alka level in India. It "orks for the villages of the %ehsil or %alka that together are called a Aevelopment lock. %he Panchayat *amiti is the link bet"een the Gram Panchayat and the district administration. %here are a nmber of variations of in varios states. It is kno"n as ;andal Praja Parishad in -ndhraPradesh, %alka panchayat in Gjarat, ;andal Panchayat in 0arnataka, etc. In general it+s a kind of Panchayati raj at higher level.
− Constitution It is composed of e/$oDcio members >all sarpanchas of the panchayat samiti area, the ;Ps and ;'-s of the area and the *A7 of the sbdivision?, co$opted members>representatives of *E*% and "omen?, associate members >a farmer of the area, are presentative of the cooperative societies and one of the marketing services? and some '7-' *8' G7:8!;8%
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elected members. %he samiti is elected for = years and is headed by the chairman and the depty chairman.
− Department %he common departments in the *amiti are as follo"sB
1. General administration %his looks after inter administration of the block level panchayat. 3. inance %he role of this branch is to look after the @nancial spport to the varios dties "hich block level panchayat has to ensre. or e/ample sanitation, roads etc. 2. Pblic "orks %o constrct basic infrastrctre sanitation, street lightning etc.
and block level like roads,
4. -gricltre %o look after proper space for storing of agricltre prodce and making sre to set p basic infrastrctre for selling that prodce. =. Fealth or setting p basic health centres to keep check on diseases cased by hepatises -, and and diseases like polio and malaria. 6. 8dcation %o set p adeate schools according to the poplation of the area and ensre ality and antity edcation. . *ocial "elfare lock panchayat have to make sre the betterment of socially and @nancially back"ard people in health, edcational and hosing facilities. ). Information %echnology and others.
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%here is an oDcer for every department. - government appointed asblock development oDcer is the e/ective oDcer to the samiti.
− Functions 1. 3. 2. 4.
Implement schemes for the development of agricltre. 8stablishment of primary health centres and primary schools. *pply of drinking "ater, drainage, constrctionErepair of roads. Aevelopment of cottage and small$scale indstries and opening
of cooperative societies. =. 8stablishment of yoth organisations.
− ources o! income %he main sorce of income of the panchayat samiti are grants$in$aid and loans from the *tate Government. 7ther sorces inclde income from cooperative societies, dties from traders etc.
c? Aistrict level panchayatB$ In the district level of the panchayati raj system there is H "illa parishadH. It looks after the administration of the rral area of the district and its oDce is located at the district headarters. %he Findi "ord #arishad means oncil and illa Parishad translates to Aistrict oncil. It is headed by the HAistrict ollectorH or the HAistrict ;agistrateH or the HAepty omminissionerH is the link bet"een the state government and the panchayat samiti >local self government at the block level?.
− Constitution ;embers of the illa Parishad are elected from the district on the basis of adlt franchise for a term of @ve years. illa Parishad has minimm of =J and ma/imm of = members. %here are seats reserved for *chedled astes, *chedled %ribes, back"ard classes and "omen. %he hairmen of all the Panchayat *amitis form the members of illa Parishad. %he Parishad is headed by a President and a :ice$President. '7-' *8' G7:8!;8%
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− Functions 1. Provide essential services and facilities to the rral poplation and the planning and e/ection of the development programmes for the district. 3. *pply improved seeds to farmers. Inform them of ne" technies of training. Kndertake constrction of small$scale irrigation projects and percolation tanks. ;aintain pastres and gra&ing lands. 2. *et p and rn schools in villages. 8/ecte programmes for adlt literacy. !n libraries. 4. *tart Primary Fealth entres and hospitals in villages. *tart mobile hospitals for hamlets, vaccination drives against epidemics and family "elfare campaigns. =. onstrction bridges and roads and improvement of overall rral infrastrctre. 6. 8/ecte plans for the development of the schedled castes and tribes. !n ashramshalas for adivasi children. *et p free hostels for schedled caste stdents. . 8ncorage entrepreners to start small$scale indstries like cottage indstries, handicraft, agricltre prodce processing mills, dairy farms, etc. implement rralemployment schemes. ). %hey constrct roads, schools,L pblic properties. -nd they take care of the pblic properties. 9. %hey even spply "ork for the poor people. >tribes, schedled caste, lo"er caste?.
− ources o! $ncome 1. %a/es on "ater, pilgrimage, markets, etc. 3. i/ed grant from the *tate Government in proportion "ith the land revene and money for "orks and schemes assigned to the Parishad.
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PROBLEMS IN ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE
*tarted "ith great hope and enthsiasm some of the major problems and shortcomings that devoted in the "orking Panchayati !aj instittions can be identi@ed asB
1. 8lection are not being held on a reglar basis althogh there is provision of election after = years bt governments for some reason or the other had sometimes sho"n cold sholder to the eective elections being held. 3. 'ack of adeate transfer of po"ers and resorces to Panchayati instittions is very adamant. Airect fnding like to"n athorities is not given to panchayats "hich in retrn reslt in slo" development and economic gro"th of rral areas.
2. 'ack of Panchayati !aj bodies to generate their o"n resorces sch as ta/ on sale land and share in other dties or cess for bsinesses "hich are going on in that area. 4. on$!epresentation of "oman and "eaker sections in the elected bodies is still the isse dispite of provisions for it. %he reasons are many like lack of a"areness, male dominance, and ignorance of "omen itself etc.
RESERVATION FOR WOMEN
%he onstittion 2rd -mendment -ct in order to revive the e/isting Panchayati !aj system de to its strctral and fnctional inadeacies has made mandatory on the part of the states that they "old reserve a minimm of 2J per cent of seats to "oman in their Panchayati !aj instittions so as to involve actively in the decision making process. '7-' *8' G7:8!;8%
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In accordance "ith the 2rd -mendment 22 per cent of seats have been reserved for rral "oman in the Panchayati !aj Instittions. %he *tattory reservation of seats for "oman in Panchayati !aj bodies has provided an opportnity for their formal involvement in the development and political processes at the grass root level thereby to enabling them to inMence the decision making process in the local governments.
IMPLICATIONS OF CONSTITUTIONAL 73rd & 74t AMENDMENT
%he 2rd L 4th onstittional -mendment has been made to many "eaknesses. It has certain featres "hich are binding on the state legislatre "here they resort to discretionB 1. 3. 2. 4.
onstittional *tats to Panchayati !aj Instittions. !eservation of *eats for 5eaker *ection of *ociety. Airect 8lection of Panchayati !aj, every @ve years at all levels. inance ommission to be set p by *tate Government to devolve
fnds and sggest "ays of @nancing Panchayati !aj Instittions. =. 8lection ommission at *tate 'evel to ondct Panchayati !aj 8lections. t the discretion given to the state for implementing the implications given in amendments has is being problem for panchayat system from past becase some states takes it very lightly and ignore the importance of setting p proper system at village levels. It is ths, important to verify "hether the aims and objectives of the onstittional amendment and the aspirations generated by it have been met and if so, to "hat e/tent. :arios discssions, debates, conferences are being organi&ed to see and many isses are debated for ne" e/perience.
−
BURNING ISSUES OF PANCHAYATI RAJ
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1. Aevoltion of @nances to P!I+s bodies. 3. 8/ercise of Po"er and responsibility by Panchayati !aj Instittion. 2. 5hat has been the impact of the reservations especially for "oman and to "hat e/tant this has helped the "eaker section of societyN 4. 5hether the P!I+s in the ne" set p have improved their position regarding devoltion of po"ers and @nancial resorces in vie" of setting p *tate inance and 8lection ommissionsN =. 5hat sort of training and orientation 1) "old be reired for the ne"ly elected Panchayati !aj bodiesN In a net$shell the 2rd -mendment had arosed a lot of e/pectations and it is to be e/pected that it "old sher Panchayati !aj Instittions in a ne" and dynamic role.
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CHALLENGES FACED BY PANCHAYATI RAJ
%ram #anchayat implementation.
is
not
really
the
lowest
unit
!or
- majority of the primary stakeholder for the !8G- and the onthi P!I Project are nskilled labor in the villages. or these commnities, especially those staying in villages other than the Gram Panchayat headarters, the Gram Panchayat is still an instittion at some distance. %he opportnity costs for transacting "ith the Gram Panchayat is often the loss in daily "ages. Fence, any programme designed for the nskilled labor shold actally detail operational modalities that recognise their livelihood imperatives and enable their engagement. It is in this perspective that the operational modalities from Gram Panchayat to the villageEhamlet level advice versa are considered important.
$$.
&ack o! capacities at the %ram #anchayat !or planning' estimation o! works.
or reali&ing
1J
capacities for planning and implementation is the biggest impediment for processes that seek to strengthen decentralised instittions. %hese constraints cannot be "ished a"ay they have to be addressed throgh systematic and sstained capacity bilding spport there are no short$ cts.
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&ack o! availability o! local line department !unctionaries and lack o! local technical skills.
onthi Gram Panchayat does not have a fll time secretary. -n agricltre assistant from the agricltre department is depted as a secretary "ith
$V.
&ack o! in!ormation
%he crrent gideline has little stress on an organi&ed information campaign at the village level for the !8G-. In onthi, it is fond that many misconceptions e/ist abot the programme among the commnity that are rare clari@ed throgh objective sorces.
V.
Delays in !und trans!er to the %ram #anchayat low accountability o! the higher institutions.
nd releases from the ila Panchayat to the Gram Panchayat take a long time to get processed. %his despite promises by oDcials to look into the matter, each time the matter is discssed in the *teering ommittee ;eetings at the ila Panchayat. -lso, no commnication from the ila Panchayat to the Gram Panchayat is made on the reasons for the delay. or, the ila Panchayat handling mltiple programmes in 1= gram panchayats, this is jst another project @le. hanges in oDcials frther complicate matters, as ne" oDcials reire time to nderstand the project. Aonor intervention "as reired for all fnd releases till date. -lthogh the !8G- gidelines provide for pnitive action on part of erring Gram Panchayats that delay job creation after a demand has been made, levels above are not eally accontable. %his "ill prove to be a big hindrance for ensring "ork as a
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delays of over a year in labor payments reported from at least t"o villages in onthi Gram Panchayat.
V$.
iders !or *+%,- Challenges o! backward districts-
%he 3JJ back"ard districts "here the !8G- is being implemented make the -ct more desirable bt at the same time less feasible. %heir nie socio$economic and governance problems better be nderstood for the !8G- to be eective. %he 3JJ back"ard districts, identi@ed by the Planning ommission "ill pose major challenges to the implementation of the !8G- becase of their special problems. %hey are the least developed areas of the contry comprising mostly marginal farmers and forest d"ellers. In many of these districts poverty has increased despite consistent focs of several poverty eradication programmes. Governance has little or no presence in most of these districts. %he !8G- "ith the aim to redce poverty is ths desirable for these districts. %he !8G- can target development sing hge demand for casal jobs. Fo"ever, the absence of governance "ill make the implementation diDclt. It is ths imperative to nderstand the comple/ socioeconomic and governance challenges of the back"ard districts. %his "ill help implement the !8G- in an eective "ay. -nd for the !8G-, these districts "ill decide its overall sccess.
V$$.
Dicult constituencies
5idespread poverty is a major featre "ith all these districts. - large nmber of them are located in the arid and semiarid regions "ith 94 districts covered nder the Aroght Prone -reas Programme >AP-P? and ) districts covered nder the Aesert Aevelopment Programme >AAP?. %he socio economic indicators of most of these districts are generally belo" the national average. 7t of these 3JJ districts, 14) have literacy lo"er than the national average >62.=)Q? "hile the rate of female literacy in 1=4 districts is lo"er than the national average of =4.16Q. -lso, the proportion of *E*% poplation in most of the areas is higher than in other areas. In 41 of them >"hich does not inclde (amtara, 'atehar, *imdega, *raikela$0harsa"an districts of (harkhand for "hich censs 3JJ1 @gres are not available? *%s constitte majority of the poplation3.%hese districts are also the most back"ard regions in terms of connectivity. %here are 31 districts in the Fimalayan region and the orth 8ast that are completely montainos. esides, a nmber of districts in (harkhand, hattisgarh, ;aharashtra, ;adhya Pradesh, -ndhra Pradesh and 7rissa have hilly terrain. %here are also "ide variations in the si&e and poplation of the districts. '7-' *8' G7:8!;8%
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V$$$.
ocioeconomic pro/le
%hese districts are primarily agricltral and in 11= districts, the percentage of agricltral laborers in the total rral "orking poplation is higher than the national average of 22 percent, indicating the large$scale landlessness in these districts combined "ith lack of eective employment opportnities in the non$agricltral sector. %he reslt is lo"er incomes for a large section of the rral poplation contribting to"ards the back"ardness of these districts apart from agroclimatic and physiographic conditions.
CONCLUSION %he !8G- is an ambitios programme "ith vast transformative potentials. It is important that implementation mechanisms are strengthened to se its fll potential. 5hile there is abndant e/perience "ith India#s breacratic set$p, the Panchayati !aj system is of relative recent vintage and project designersE policy makers have limited hands$on e/perience of its fnctioning. 7ften positions are taken from an ideological perspective than from @eld e/perience. %he debate on merits of decentralisation needs to be set at rest and all eorts no" need to be made to strengthen the capacities of the decentralised instittions and to improve their role clarity follo"ing principles of sbsidiary. Planning and implementation of !; based activities, commnity participation and accontability are best addressed at the habitation level and Panchayats in most states are still too remote an instittion for these fnctions.
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%he governance role of Panchayats needs to be strengthened inclding accontability of oDcials at the ila Panchayat and the line departments to the Gram Panchayat. %he civil society has an important stake in the sccess of !8G- and in contribting to its sccess "hich shold be harnessed.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
i. ii. iii. iv. v.
Aemocracy and *ocial hange in India :.. *ingh. 1999. %he *ccess of India+s Aemocracy, *brata 0. ;itra . omparative Politics %oday, ingham Po"ell. Government of (harkhand srvey 3J1J. ;inistry of Panchayati !aj, Government of India.
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