Panchayati Raj – Social Issue Essay, Article for Class 12, Graduation and Competitive Examination.

Panchayati Raj

Scheme of the Essay

Exposition: A panchayat is an institution of self-government.

Rising Action: Local government reforms initiated by the 72nd and 73rd constitutional amendments.

Climax:

(1) Panchayat’s functions cover 29 subjects.

(2) Major initiatives for local self-government came from the central govt.

(3) Hold of state bureaucracy over local govt. will weaken after reforms.

(4) States have agreed to amend laws for strengthening Panchayati Raj.

(5) States agreed on many points.

(6) Suggestions by the concerned.

Ending: The Panchayat Raj is the very basis of democracy.

A Panchayat has been defined as an institution of self-government for the rural areas at the village, block, and district levels. Village means a village specially notified as such by the government; block is a cluster of villages and district is a revenue district. The idea is to establish Panchayats at all levels. There are over 5,00,000 villages in India; around 5011 blocks and over 450 districts in the country.

The passing of the Constitution’s 72nd and 73rd amendment bills in 1992 by Parliament initiated the first phase of local government reforms in India. When operative it will signal a new mood of political liberalization. The bills received the consent of the President in April 1993. The basic thrust of such reforms is the elected local governments will be allowed to function with respect to their allotted tasks. This means that all types of local governments are to be elected either by the people or in the special case of the intermediate (Anchal) Panchayats by the chairman of the village (gram) Panchayats. The period of suppression of the local governments is to be for a maximum of six months. In the case of municipal bodies or nagarpalikas, there is a provision for non-voting members with special expertise in municipal administration. There has also to be adequate representation for scheduled caste and tribe members. At least a third of the total elected membership of local governments are to be women. Additionally, the state legislation may reserve the post of chairperson for women. Additionally, the state legislation may reserve the post of chairpersons for women as well as reserve seats for the backward classes.

The functions allotted to the Panchayats cover 29 subjects, while those for the nagarpalikas cover 16. This means that the Panchayats will have largely concurrent functional responsibilities. In keeping with the imperatives of economic liberalization local governments are expected to privatize their market-related services and encourage non-governmental organizations to provide social services. This would result in a variety of public-private collaborations in the provision of community services and the involvement of local governments in public service delivery arrangements. The Bills provide for the mandatory appointment of State Finance Commissions (SFCs) every five years. There should be a common Commission for both the Panchayats and the nagarpalikas and for a group of states. The SFCs are required to assess local government revenues from their own sources palikas and from their own sources and recommend a package of revenue devolution and grants to meet their projected fiscal gap in terms of an estimated level of local expenditure. The SFCS may also have to suggest a normative pattern of functional devolution to local governments in terms of the list of functions. The difference between the normative and actual functional domain of local governments would represent the extent of the required transfer of state taxes, grants, and personnel for additional functional devolution to local governments. The operative methods of the SFCS would follow the existing methods of fiscal transfers to the states.

The major initiatives for local government reforms have always come from the central government although the states are supposed to give concrete shape to the strengthening of local bodies. The two bills provide for the involvement of the Election Commission and the Comptroller and Auditor-General to create a level field for the functioning of local governments. In the future, the functioning of the federal Finance Commission and the Planning Commission also may have to be supportive of the institutional strengthening of local governments, perhaps more pointedly in the case of the municipal corporations and directly through the commitment of funds for local subjects like primary education, basic health facilities, drinking water and so on. Future central government initiatives in local government reform may be through the introduction of local political executives who are accountable to the elected local councils rather than to the state governments. Also, the suggested devolution of functions and finances to the local governments. may have to be facilitated by the central government to make the present constitutional arrangement work satisfactorily. The proposed amendments will have far-reaching consequences in the light of the transfer of state functions resources, and staff to local governments through the emergence of strengthened and autonomous local authorities. This would marginalize the existing state apparatus involved in local functioning. The role of the state bureaucracy in controlling local government would also undergo substantive changes. It would influence the future structure of the local executive that is at present accountable more to the concerned state government than to a local political executive. The operative consequence of the proposed amendments on local governments would be the emergence of a self-regulated system of local autonomy and accountability.

In a move to strengthen the Panchayati Raj institutions, all states have agreed to amend their relevant laws to bring them in conformity with the Panchayati Raj Act. This was agreed upon at the conference of state ministers and secretaries in charge of Panchayats in Delhi. The conference was held to deliberate on an action plan for amending the state legislations and to hold Panchayat elections.

At the conference, the states agreed that the new legislation would be placed before the forthcoming session of their assemblies. The states have to bring the relevant legislation in conformity with the Panchayati Raj Act as the Central Act came into force. The meeting, also saw the states agreeing to take steps to hold elections for Panchayati Raj. The states also agreed that the provisions relating to the setting up of district planning committees in the Panchayati Raj Act would form a part of their new Panchayati Raj legislation. It was generally agreed at the meeting that at least elections to the Gram Panchayats be held on a non-party basis to prevent feuds at the village level and remove impediments to development. The meet felt that the concept of “Nyay panchayats” was a good mechanism for speedy and inexpensive resolution of local disputes. It was suggested that they may form part of the proposed Panchayati Raj legislation in the states or maybe legislated separately. The conference recommended that it was necessary to impart adequate training to all functionaries involved in the Panchayati Raj system at every level. A comprehensive calendar of training programs for all important functionaries should be formulated. The conference recommended that the states use the electoral rolls now used for parliamentary or assembly elections for the Panchayat polls. This would reduce the cost of such elections considerably. The conference agreed that the cardinal principle for the distribution of powers and functions at each level of Panchayat must be that “what could be done at a given level should be done at that level alone and not at a higher level.”

In the Panchayati Raj institutions, particularly at the district and intermediate level, the system of standing committees might be useful if included in the legislation so that specialized subjects might be discussed. Experts from outside the Panchayati Raj institutions might be co-opted in these committees. The Panchayati ministers were of the view that local bodies should be endowed with adequate resources. These funds should flow to them on a systematic and scientific basis, rather than on an ad-hoc basis. The conference decided that a committee of state ministers in charge of Panchayati Raj would meet on a rotational basis in different states and exchange experience and views. The ministers felt that to promote wide dissemination of information and knowledge on the Panchayat system and to spread awareness among the people, publicity material should be prepared in local languages and arrangements made for its distribution. Also, the holding of conventions, seminars, and sammelans to highlight the salient features of the Panchayat system at the state, district, and block levels was recommended. The Panchayati Raj is the very foundation of democratic administration and various developmental activities. It is, however, needless to emphasize that democracy in our country is in jeopardy and all-over developmental activities are almost beset with impediments. Gram Panchayats and Panchayat Samities do have a positive role to play in the preservation of democracy and uplift of the rural sector. The Panchayati Raj is also entrusted with a moral responsibility to help to eradicate the dowry system effect prohibition and undertake welfare measures for the poor and the downtrodden besides promoting communal harmony. Our democracy can only have a firm footing and our society can only be enriched if the elected representatives of the Gram Panchayats and the Panchayat Samities discharge their responsibilities in a spirit of service, Sincerity, and sacrifice.