LOCAL GOVERNMENT IN RURAL AREAS

Overview

• Local government in rural areas is enabled by the Panchayat system of governance involving Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs)
• The Panchayat is a three-tier system involving governance bodies at three levels:
• Gram Panchayat at the village level
• Panchayat Samiti at the Block level
• Zilla Parishad at the District level
• The Panchayat system exists in all states except Nagaland, Meghalaya and Mizoram. It also exists in all Union Territories except Delhi
• Panchayat system is provided for all states having a population more than 2 million
• Function of the panchayat include
• Planning and implementation of schemes for economic development and social justice relating to the 29 subjects in the Indicative List
• To levy and collect taxes, duties, tolls and fees

Committees to study Panchayat system

Committee		Established	Mandate	Recommendations
Balwantrai Mehta		1957	Community development projects	Establish local bodies Devolve power and authority Basic unit of decentralised government to be Block/samiti Body to be constituted for 5 years by indirect elections from village panchayats Functions to include agriculture, local industry
K Santhanam		1963	Panchayat finance	Panchayats to have powers to levy tax on land revenue etc Panchayati Raj Finance Corporation to be set up
Ashok Mehta		1978	Effective development of Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRI)	District to be viable administrative unit for planning PRIs as two-tier system with Mandal Panchayat and Zilla Parishad 4 year term, participation of political parties
GVK Rao		1985	Development of PRIs	PRIs to be activated and supported Block Development Office (BDO) to be center of rural development
LM Singhvi	1986	– same-	Local self government to be constitutionally recognised Non-involvement of political parties

73^rd Constitutional Amendment Act 1992

• The Constitution of India did not have originally have provisions for panchayat system of government
• The 73^rd Constitutional Amendment Act (1992) formally established Panchayat Raj Institutions in the country
• The Act was meant to provide democracy at the grassroots level
• The mean features of the Act include
• Establishment of Panchayats as elected bodies
• A three tier structure of panchayat institutions: village level, Block level and District level
• Not less than one third of panchayat seats to be reserved for women. Additionally, reservations also for SC/STs
• Panchayat elections to be supervised by State Election Commissions
• District Planning Committees provided Constitutional status
• Indicative List of 29 subjects introduced in the 11^th Schedule of the Constitution. Panchayats to plan and implement works related to this List.

VILLAGE LEVEL GOVERNMENT

• The panchayat at the village level is known as Gram Panchayat, or simply as Panchayat
• The Gram Panchayat is the basic level of the Panchayat system, and hence of the system of governance in India
• Gram Panchayats can be established in villages with a minimum population of 300. If individual villages have small populations, they can be grouped together to form a group-gram panchayat
• The Gram Panchayat is elected by the Gram Sabha.
• Gram Panchayats are elected for a period of 5 years

The Gram Sabha

• The Gram Sabha consists of all residents of a village above the age of 18 years
• It meets twice a year
• The annual budget and development schemes for the village are placed before the Gram Sabha for consideration and approval
• The Sarpanch and his assistants answer questions posed by the people
  
  Constitution of Gram Panchayats
• The number of members ranges from 7 to 31
• The Sarpanch or Chairperson is the head of the Gram Panchayat
• The Sarpanch and Deputy Sarpanch are usually elected from and by the elected members of the panchayat. Sometimes, they are elected directly by the people

Responsibilities of the Panchayat

• Attend to street lights, construction and repair works of roads etc
• Keep records of births, deaths and marriages in the village
• Attend to public health and hygiene by providing sanitation and water facilities
• Provide for education
• Implement development schemes for agriculture and animal husbandry

Sources of income

• The main source of income for panchayats is property tax
• Other sources include profession tax, taxes on pilgrimage (if applicable), animal trade etc
• Also, the panchayats receive grants from the state government as well as Zilla Parishads
  BLOCK LEVEL GOVERNMENT
• The panchayat at the intermediate level is known as Panchayat Samiti
• It works at the Tehsil or Taluka level, also known as Development Block
• The Panchayat Samiti acts as the link between the gram panchayat and the district administration
• The Panchayat Samiti is also known as Mandal Parishad, Taluka Panchayat, Mandal Panchayat
• The main source of income of the Samiti are grants and loans from the state government

Constitution of Panchayat Samiti

• The Panchayat Samiti is composed four types of members
• Ex-officio members: all sarpanchas of the Development Block, the MPs and MLAs of the area and Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO)
• Coopted members: representatives of SC/STs and women
• Associate members: one farmer, one representative of cooperative societies and one representative of marketing services
• Elected members
• The samiti is elected for a period of 5 years
• There is a Chairman and a Deputy Chairman
• There is an officer in charge for every department of the Samiti including administration, finance, public works, agriculture etc

Functions of the Panchayat Samiti

• Implement schemes for agriculture development
• Establishment of primary health centres and primary schools
• Supply of drinking water, sanitation, construction/repair of roads
• Development of cottage and small scale industries
• Establishment of cooperative societies
• Establishment of youth organizations

DISTRICT LEVEL GOVERNMENT

• The Zilla Parishad is the local government body at the district level. It is also known as the District Council
• The Parishad is responsible for administration of the rural areas of the district
• It is located in the district headquarters

Constitution of the Zilla Parishad

• The members of the Zilla Parishad are Chairmen of the Panchayat Samitis falling under the area
• They serve for a period of 5 years
• Zilla Parishads have min 50 and max 75 members
• Seats are reserved for SC/STs, backward classes and women
• The Zilla Parishad is headed by a CEO (who is an IAS officer)

Sources of income

• Taxes on water, pilgrimage, markets etc
• Money from the state government for works and schemes assigned to the Parishad
• Fixed grant from the state government in proportion to the land revenue

Functions of the Zilla Parishad

• Planning and execution of development projects for the district
• Provide essential services and facilities to the rural population
• Agriculture projects such as supply of seeds, irrigation, new techniques of farming etc
• Education projects such as setting up and running of schools, adult literacy, running libraries
• Establish primary health centres, hospitals, mobile health centres
• Carry out vaccination drives and family welfare campaigns
• Construct/repair bridges and roads
• Development plans for SC/STs, hostels for SC students, ashramashalas for adivasis
• Encourage entrepreneurship in small scale industries such as handicrafts, dairy farms etc