Panchayati Raj

The Gram Sabha is the key factor in making the Gram Panchayat a responsible local body. It prevents the village Panchayat from doing wrong things like misusing money. It plays an important role in keeping an eye on the elected members.

The local government develops the feeling of self-reliance among the local people. It develops initiative and spirit of cooperation. It trains local people in running the Central and the State administration. It finishes the local work with speed and with minimum expenditure.

The main objective of the village Panchayat is to improve the condition of the villagers and to make them self-sufficient.

RTI Act was approved by the Parliament; it covers not only government offices at the Centre, but also all government bodies set up by the States and Union Territories. Panchayati Raj Institutions (Part IX) of Indian Constitution are covered by the Act. It provides citizens the right to access of Panchayat information. Citizens can examine works, documents and records of the government.

The Ward members (Panchs) and the Sarpanch form the Gram Panchayat. Gram Panchayat is elected for a term of five years.

Each village Panchayat is divided into wards i.e division into smaller areas. Citizens of each ward elect a representative who is known as the Ward Member or Panch. All the ward members together make a Panchayat.

The objectives of "watershed development programme" are:-

1. To control desertification
2. To encourage restoration of ecological balance
3. To promote economic development of village community

Gram Sabha finalizes and approves the list of the people below the poverty line in rural areas. The Gram Sabha is a key factor in making the Gram Panchayat play its responsibility and be accountable. It is the place where all plans and policies for the work of the Gram Panchayat are placed before the people. The Gram Sabha checks the Panchayat from doing incorrect things like misusing money or favoring certain people. It plays an important role in keeping a watch on the elected representatives and in making them answerable to the people who elected them.

Sarpanch has various responsibilities, some of them are as follows:-

1. Looking after street lights, construction and repair work of the roads in the villages and also the village markets, fairs, festivals and celebrations.
2. Keeping a record of births, deaths and marriages in the village.
3. Looking after public health and hygiene by providing facilities for sanitation and drinking water.
4. Providing for education. Implementing development schemes for agriculture and animal husbandry.

The source of funds of Gram Panchayat are:

• Collection of taxes on houses, market places, etc.
• Government scheme funds received through various departments of the government- through the Janpad and Zila Panchayats.
• Donations for community works etc.

The Panchs of different Gram Panchayats are awarded with the Nirmal Gram Puruskar by the central government for their excellent work every year.

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Zilla Parishad or District Panchayat is the apex body of Panchayati Raj System. It examines and approves the budget of panchayat samitis in the district. Issues directions to the panchayat samitis for efficient performance of their functions. Coordinates development plans prepared by the panchayat samitis. It distributed funds, allocated by the State government to the panchayat samitis in the district. It collects statistics relating to the activities of local authorities in the district.

Helps in strengthening the democracy at grass-root level. It has twin objectives:- Democratic decentralization and local participation

Block Development officer has the greatest importance in community development.

The elected members of the Gram Panchayat elect from among themselves a Sarpanch and a Deputy Sarpanch for a term of five years.

All the members of the Gram Sabha elect a Sarpanch who is the Panchayat President. Seats for Sarpanch are reserved for women who belong to scheduled caste and scheduled tribes. Sarpanch presides over the meetings of the Panchayat.

The District Commissioner is also called the collector or District Officer. He is the representative of the state Government. He looks after the district administration. It is his duty to coordinate the work of the government officers of the district.

The main function of the Zila Parishad is to coordinate all the activities of the Panchayati Raj. It gives advice to the State government on the work of the Panchayats and the Samitis. It prepares a plan for its district development.

The villagers in Hardas village were facing the water problems. The problem was discussed in the Gram Sabha meeting and a conclusion was arrived at; thus, watershed development programme came into operation. Soon it was completed and the villagers took a sigh of relief.

The work of the Gram Panchayat has to be approved by the Gram Sabha. In some states, Gram Sabha forms committees like construction and development committees. The members are from the Gram Sabha and Gram Panchayat. They work together to carry out specific tasks.

The meeting of the Gram Sabha begins with the Panchayat president. The members of the Gram Panchayat present a plan on repairing the road that connects the village to the main highway. They also discuss about the water and water shortages. Finally, they discuss about the finalization of the BPL list, which has to be approved by the Gram Sabha.

The first Below Poverty Line was made in the Rajya Sabha on December, 21, 1978 by the then Prime Minister. BPL was based on the rupee value of a specified nutritional requirement. The cost of the grain that fulfils this nutritional standard was calculated. This cost was the poverty line.

The Nyaya Panchayat has the power to settle only minor and criminal cases such as thief’s, gambling, simple injury etc. It can impose a fine of upto one hundred rupees. It cannot send any person to jail. It also solves disputes relating to custody and maintenance of children and dependants. The cases tried by the Nyaya Panchayat are decided quickly in an inexpensive manner.

The Panchayati Raj has not been able to achieve its aim fully. The Panchayati Raj has set up a link between the government and the villages in every corner of the country. The villages in India have become politically awakened and in almost every home people discuss about the problem of the country.

Failure of panchayti raj: The elected representatives often forget their duties and promises which they made with the villagers at the time of elections.

A local government is very important. The aim of the local bodies is to solve the local problems by cooperation and without depending upon others. The local people only know their problems and for meeting their needs, it is the local people who take interest. They also finish the work with speed and with least expenditure. The local government also lightens the work of the Central and State government. They also provide training of administration to the people at lower levels.

The quorum for a Gram Sabha meeting remains one tenth of the total member. It is important to have 1/3rdof the quorum as women members. Gram Sabha will have a supervisory body which audits and regulates the functioning of the Gram Panchayat. Recommendation of the Gram Sabha will be binding on the Gram Panchayat. The secretary of the Gram Panchayat can be removed only if the Gram Sabha approves it. All the villages within the Gram Panchayat can have separate Gram Sabha.

Panchayats have been in existence since ages. After 73rd amendment of the Indian constitution in 1993, they got the constitutional status. The panchayats have been conceived as development agencies. They aim at rural development by involving the rural community. Panchayati Raj strengthens the foundation of the Indian democracy. It provides representation to the weaker sections of the society namely, Scheduled Tribes, Scheduled Castes, Other Backward Classes and women. The Gram Panchayat maintains water sources, village wells, tanks and pumps, street lighting and drainage system. The Panchayati Raj system also reduces the burden of the state government. Though the Panchayati raj system functions independently, but it is the state government that formulates the rules and regulations regarding the functioning of the local self-government. Due to all these reasons, the Panchayati Raj system is very important for the successful administration of a democratic country like India.

In 1992, the Parliament amended the constitution and formulated rules for the Panchayati Raj system. The state and the centre had to follow these rules from April 1993 onwards. The rules are listed below: It should be a three-tier system – the village level, the intermediate or block level and the district level. Direct elections should be conducted for all the seats in the panchayats. The state should ensure representation of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes in proportion to their population in the area. Minimum of one third of the total number of seats is to be reserved for women. A member of panchayat should not be less than 21 years of age. The State Election Commission should hold regular panchayat elections.