1

LOCAL SELF GOVERNMENT IN RURAL

INDIA

AN INTRODUCTION TO PANCHAYATI RAJ

Panchayats have been the backbone of the Indian villages since the
beginning of recorded history. Gandhiji, the father of the nation, in 1946
had aptly remarked that the Indian Independence must begin at the
bottom and every village ought to be a Republic or Panchayat having
powers. Gandhijis dream has been translated in to reality with the
introduction of the three-tier Panchayati Raj system to ensure peoples
participation in rural reconstruction.
The constitution of free India envisaged organization of village Panchayats
and endow those with such powers and authority as may be necessary to
enable them to function as units of Local self government. The
government of India set up a committee in June 1986 which
recommended the Panchayati Raj institutions should be constitutionally
recognized, protected and preserved. Late Shri Rajiv Gandhi's government
accepted the recommendations of the Committee and brought forward the
64th Constitutional Amendment Bill. But the Bill could not been acted.
Panchayati Raj Institutions were constituted in the various states but it
could not live up to the expectations for various reasons.
Keeping in view the past experiences, it become imperative to provide
constitutional status to local self government to impart certainty,
continuity and strength. Thus, the constitution 73rd Amendment Act 1992
came into effect which envisages states to establish at three tier system
of strong, viable and responsive Panchayats at the village, intermediate
and district level.
Although, the Panchayati Raj in Rajasthan enjoys good reputation but it
could not go up to many expectations till today i.e., strong, viable and
responsive solidarity among large number of masses. Situation may not
improve merely by amending the Act, What is to be needed today is a
change in thinking and bringing about a sense of consciousness among
the people as well as the administrators. New norms and ethics need to be
created for both which will sub serve the ideals of underlying
decentralisation.
LOCAL SELF GOVERNMENT

Even learned foreign experts may be invited to form opinion before

studying
the
situation.
For
achieving
better
result
sand
greater commitments to PRI's bodies. Likewise, Panchayats should be
made more active and responsive so that social awareness and
consciousness could be created at the grassroots level. It is then, that the
true ideals and experience in democratic decentralization would walk
hand in hand. Then only, as Nehru said, everyone in the country would
be a partner in the progress.

CHARACTERSTICS
1.

A three-tier system of Panchayati Raj for all States having

2.
3.

population of over twenty-lakh.

Panchayat elections are held regularly every 5 years.
Reservation of seats for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and

4.

women (not less than one-third of seats).

Appointment
of
State
Finance
Commission
recommendations

5.

Panchayats.
Constitution

of

as

regards

District

the

Planning

financial

to

powers

Committees

to

make
of

the

prepare

development plans for the district as a whole.

BASIC POWERS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Preparation of plan for economic development and social justice to

the people without any discrimination.

Implementation of schemes for economic development and social

justice in relation to 29 subjects given in Eleventh Schedule of the
Constitution.

To levy, collect and appropriate taxes, duties, tolls and fees from
goods carriers.

LOCAL SELF GOVERNMENT

THREE-TIER SYSTEM OF PANCHAYATI RAJ

a) Village level panchayat .
b) Block (intermediate) level panchayat.
c) District level panchayat.

a) Village level panchayat:-

It is called a Panchayat at the village level. It is a local body working for

the good of the village. The number of members usually ranges from 7 to
31; occasionally, groups are larger, but they never have less than 7
members.

b) Intermediate level panchayat:Panchayat samitis a local government body at the tehsil or Taluka level in
India. It works for the villages of the Tehsil or Taluka that together are
called a Development Block. The Panchayat Samiti is the link between the
Gram Panchayat and the district administration. There are a number of
variations of in various states. It is known as Mandal Praja Parishad in
AndhraPradesh, Taluka panchayat in Gujarat, Mandal Panchayat in
Karnataka, etc. In general it's a kind of Panchayati raj at higher level.

Constitution
It is composed of ex-officio members (all sarpanchas of the panchayat
samiti area, the MPs and MLAs of the area and the SDO of the
subdivision), co-opted members(representatives of SC/ST and women),
associate members (a farmer of the area, are presentative of the
cooperative societies and one of the marketing services) and some
LOCAL SELF GOVERNMENT

elected members. The samiti is elected for 5 years and is headed by the
chairman and the deputy chairman.

Department
The common departments in the Samiti are as follows:

1. General administration
This looks after inter administration of the block level panchayat.
2. Finance
The role of this branch is to look after the financial support to the
various duties which block level panchayat has to ensure. For
example sanitation, roads etc.
3. Public works
To construct basic infrastructure and block level like roads,
sanitation, street lightning etc.
4. Agriculture
To look after proper space for storing of agriculture produce and
making sure to set up basic infrastructure for selling that produce.
5. Health
For setting up basic health centres to keep check on diseases
caused by hepatises A, B and C and diseases like polio and malaria.
6. Education
To set up adequate schools according to the population of the area
and ensure quality and quantity education.
7. Social welfare
Block panchayat have to make sure the betterment of socially and
financially backward people in health, educational and housing
facilities.
8. Information Technology and others.

LOCAL SELF GOVERNMENT

There is an officer for every department. A government appointed

asblock development officer is the executive officer to the samiti.

Functions
1.
2.
3.
4.

Implement schemes for the development of agriculture.

Establishment of primary health centres and primary schools.
Supply of drinking water, drainage, construction/repair of roads.
Development of cottage and small-scale industries and opening

of cooperative societies.
5. Establishment of youth organisations.

Sources of income
The main source of income of the panchayat samiti are grants-in-aid and
loans from the State Government. Other sources include income from
cooperative societies, duties from traders etc.

c) District level panchayat:In the district level of the panchayati raj system there is "zilla parishad". It
looks after the administration of the rural area of the district and its office
is located at the district headquarters. The Hindi word Parishad means
Council and Zilla Parishad translates to District Council. It is headed by the
"District Collector" or the "District Magistrate" or the "Deputy
Comminissioner" is the link between the state government and the
panchayat samiti (local self government at the block level).

Constitution
Members of the Zilla Parishad are elected from the district on the basis of
adult franchise for a term of five years. Zilla Parishad has minimum of 50
and maximum of 75 members. There are seats reserved for Scheduled
Castes, Scheduled Tribes, backward classes and women. The Chairmen of
all the Panchayat Samitis form the members of Zilla Parishad. The
Parishad is headed by a President and a Vice-President.
LOCAL SELF GOVERNMENT

Functions
1. Provide essential services and facilities to the rural population and
the planning and execution of the development programmes for the
district.
2. Supply improved seeds to farmers. Inform them of new techniques
of training. Undertake construction of small-scale irrigation projects
and percolation tanks. Maintain pastures and grazing lands.
3. Set up and run schools in villages. Execute programmes for adult
literacy. Run libraries.
4. Start Primary Health Centres and hospitals in villages. Start mobile
hospitals for hamlets, vaccination drives against epidemics and
family welfare campaigns.
5. Construction bridges and roads and improvement of overall rural
infrastructure.
6. Execute plans for the development of the scheduled castes and
tribes. Run ashramshalas for adivasi children. Set up free hostels for
scheduled caste students.
7. Encourage entrepreneurs to start small-scale industries like cottage
industries, handicraft, agriculture produce processing mills, dairy
8.

farms, etc. implement ruralemployment schemes.

They construct roads, schools,& public properties. And they take

care of the public properties.

9. They even supply work for the poor people. (tribes, scheduled caste,
lower caste).

Sources of Income
1. Taxes on water, pilgrimage, markets, etc.
2. Fixed grant from the State Government in proportion with the land
revenue and money for works and schemes assigned to the
Parishad.
LOCAL SELF GOVERNMENT

PROBLEMS IN ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE

Started with great hope and enthusiasm some of the major problems and
shortcomings that devoted in the working Panchayati Raj institutions can
be identified as:

1. Election are not being held on a regular basis although there is

provision of election after 5 years but governments for some reason
or the other had sometimes shown cold shoulder to the effective
elections being held.
2. Lack of adequate transfer of powers and resources to Panchayati
institutions is very adamant. Direct funding like town authorities is
not given to panchayats which in return result in slow development
and economic growth of rural areas.
3. Lack of Panchayati Raj bodies to generate their own resources such
as tax on sale land and share in other duties or cess for businesses
which are going on in that area.
4. Non-Representation of woman and weaker sections in the elected
bodies is still the issue dispite of provisions for it. The reasons are
many like lack of awareness, male dominance, and ignorance of
women itself etc.

RESERVATION FOR WOMEN

The Constitution 73rd Amendment Act in order to revive the existing
Panchayati Raj system due to its structural and functional inadequacies
has made mandatory on the part of the states that they would reserve a
minimum of 30 per cent of seats to woman in their Panchayati Raj
institutions so as to involve actively in the decision making process.
LOCAL SELF GOVERNMENT

In accordance with the 73rd Amendment 33 per cent of seats have been
reserved for rural woman in the Panchayati Raj Institutions. The Statutory
reservation of seats for woman in Panchayati Raj bodies has provided an
opportunity for their formal involvement in the development and
political processes at the grass root level thereby to enabling them to
influence the decision making process in the local governments.

IMPLICATIONS OF CONSTITUTIONAL 73rd & 74th

AMENDMENT
The 73rd & 74th Constitutional Amendment has been made to many
weaknesses. It has certain features which are binding on the state
legislature where they resort to discretion:
1.
2.
3.
4.

Constitutional Status to Panchayati Raj Institutions.

Reservation of Seats for Weaker Section of Society.
Direct Election of Panchayati Raj, every five years at all levels.
Finance Commission to be set up by State Government to devolve

funds and suggest ways of financing Panchayati Raj Institutions.

5. Election Commission at State Level to Conduct Panchayati Raj
Elections.
But the discretion given to the state for implementing the implications
given in amendments has is being problem for panchayat system from
past because some states takes it very lightly and ignore the importance
of
setting
up
proper
system
at
village
levels.
It is thus, important to verify whether the aims and objectives of the
Constitutional amendment and the aspirations generated by it have been
met and if so, to what extent. Various discussions, debates, conferences
are being organized to see and many issues are debated for new
experience.

BURNING ISSUES OF PANCHAYATI RAJ

LOCAL SELF GOVERNMENT

1. Devolution of finances to PRI's bodies.

2. Exercise of Power and responsibility by Panchayati Raj Institution.
3. What has been the impact of the reservations especially for woman
and to what extant this has helped the weaker section of society?
4. Whether the PRI's in the new set up have improved their position
regarding devolution of powers and financial resources in view of
setting up State Finance and Election Commissions?
5. What sort of training and orientation 18 would be required for the
newly elected Panchayati Raj bodies?
In a net-shell the 73rd Amendment had aroused a lot of
expectations and it is to be expected that it would usher Panchayati
Raj Institutions in a new and dynamic role.

CHALLENGES FACED BY PANCHAYATI RAJ

I.

Gram Panchayat
implementation.

is

not

really

the

lowest

unit

for

A majority of the primary stakeholder for the NREGA and the Bonthi PRI
Project are unskilled labour in the villages. For these communities,
especially those staying in villages other than the Gram Panchayat
headquarters, the Gram Panchayat is still an institution at some distance.
The opportunity costs for transacting with the Gram Panchayat is often the
loss in daily wages. Hence, any programme designed for the unskilled
labour should actually 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
village/hamlet level advice versa are considered important.

II.

Lack of capacities at the Gram Panchayat for planning,

estimation of works.

For realizing demystification of technical estimates, as envisaged in the

guidelines, a lot of capacity building initiative needs to focus on the Gram
Panchayat and the villages. The role of the civil society is currently very
limited in the guidelines. It needs to be strengthened, at least, for aspects
of community capacity building, supporting implementation and for
strengthening the monitoring and social audit processes. Lack of local
LOCAL SELF GOVERNMENT

10

capacities for planning and implementation is the biggest impediment for

processes that seek to strengthen decentralised institutions. These
constraints cannot be wished away they have to be addressed through
systematic and sustained capacity building support there are no shortcuts.

III.

Lack of availability of local line department functionaries

and lack of local technical skills.

Bonthi Gram Panchayat does not have a full time secretary. An agriculture
assistant from the agriculture department is deputed as a secretary with
additional charge. He also has additional charge of another nearby
Gram Panchayat. Although cooperative in timely disbursal of funds for sub
committees, the secretary finds little time to get intimately involved in the
project activities. The Junior Engineer also shares responsibility with other
panchayats. The panchayat relies on these two functionaries for all its
activities.

IV.

Lack of information

The current guideline has little stress on an organized information

campaign at the village level for the NREGA. In Bonthi, it is found that
many misconceptions exist about the programme among the community
that are rare clarified through objective sources.

V.

Delays in fund transfer to the Gram Panchayat- low

accountability of the higher institutions.

Fund releases from the Zila Panchayat to the Gram Panchayat take a long
time to get processed. This despite promises by officials to look into the
matter, each time the matter is discussed in the Steering Committee
Meetings at the Zila Panchayat. Also, no communication from the Zila
Panchayat to the Gram Panchayat is made on the reasons for the delay.
For, the Zila Panchayat handling multiple programmes in 175 gram
panchayats, this is just another project file. Changes in officials further
complicate matters, as new officials require time to understand
the project. Donor intervention was required for all fund releases till date.
Although the NREGA guidelines provide for punitive action on part of
erring Gram Panchayats that delay job creation after a demand has been
made, levels above are not equally accountable. This will prove to be a big
hindrance for ensuring work as a right as the Act envisages. There are

LOCAL SELF GOVERNMENT

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delays of over a year in labour payments reported from at least two

villages in Bonthi Gram Panchayat.

VI.

Riders for NREGA: Challenges of backward districts:-

The 200 backward districts where the NREGA is being implemented make
the Act more desirable but at the same time less feasible. Their unique
socio-economic and governance problems better be understood for the
NREGA to be effective.
The 200 backward districts, identified by the Planning Commission will
pose major challenges to the implementation of the NREGA because of
their special problems. They are the least developed areas of the country
comprising mostly marginal farmers and forest dwellers. In many of these
districts poverty has increased despite consistent focus of several poverty
eradication programmes. Governance has little or no presence in most of
these districts. The NREGA with the aim to reduce poverty is thus
desirable for these districts. The NREGA can target development using
huge demand for casual jobs. However, the absence of governance will
make the implementation difficult. It is thus imperative to understand the
complex socioeconomic and governance challenges of the backward
districts. This will help implement the NREGA in an effective way. And for
the NREGA, these districts will decide its overall success.

VII.

Difficult constituencies

Widespread poverty is a major feature with all these districts. A large

number of them are located in the arid and semiarid regions with 94
districts covered under the Drought Prone Areas Programme (DPAP) and 8
districts covered under the Desert Development Programme (DDP).
The socio economic indicators of most of these districts are generally
below the national average. Out of these 200 districts, 148 have literacy
lower than the national average (63.58%) while the rate of female literacy
in 154 districts is lower than the national average of 54.16%. Also, the
proportion of SC/ST population in most of the areas is higher than in other
areas. In 41 of them (which does not include Jamtara, Latehar, Simdega,
Sraikela-Kharsawan districts of Jharkhand for which census 2001 figures
are not available) STs constitute majority of the population2.These
districts are also the most backward regions in terms of connectivity.
There are 21 districts in the Himalayan region and the North East that are
completely mountainous. Besides, a number of districts in Jharkhand,
Chattisgarh, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Orissa
have hilly terrain. There are also wide variations in the size and population
of the districts.
LOCAL SELF GOVERNMENT

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VIII.

Socio-economic profile

These districts are primarily agricultural and in 115 districts, the

percentage of agricultural labourers in the total rural working population is
higher than the national average of 33 percent, indicating the large-scale
landlessness in these districts combined with lack of effective
employment opportunities in the non-agricultural sector. The result is
lower incomes for a large section of the rural population contributing
towards the backwardness of these districts apart from agroclimatic and
physiographic conditions.

CONCLUSION
The NREGA is an ambitious programme with vast transformative
potentials. It is important that implementation mechanisms are
strengthened to use its full potential. While there is abundant experience
with Indias bureaucratic set-up, the Panchayati Raj system is of relative
recent vintage and project designers/ policy makers have limited hands-on
experience of its functioning. Often positions are taken from an ideological
perspective than from field experience.
The debate on merits of decentralisation needs to be set at rest and all
efforts now need to be made to strengthen the capacities of the
decentralised institutions and to improve their role clarity following
principles of subsidiary. Planning and implementation of NRM based
activities, community participation and accountability are best addressed
at the habitation level and Panchayats in most states are still too remote
an institution for these functions.

LOCAL SELF GOVERNMENT

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The governance role of Panchayats needs to be strengthened including

accountability of officials at the Zila Panchayat and the line departments
to the Gram Panchayat. The civil society has an important stake in the
success of NREGA and in contributing to its success which should be
harnessed.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
v.

Democracy and Social Change in India V.B. Singh. 1999.

The Success of India's Democracy, Subrata K. Mitra .
Comparative Politics Today, Bingham Powell.
Government of Jharkhand survey 2010.
Ministry of Panchayati Raj, Government of India.

LOCAL SELF GOVERNMENT