Title: Panchayati Raj System and District Initiatives
1Panchayati Raj SystemandDistrict Initiatives
K M Mishra
2Objectives
- Panchayati Raj system
- Advantages, Disadvantages
- Plans linked to potential(PLPs)
- Participatory role of village community in the
planning process. - District Initiatives- DRDA
- Empowerment of masses
- Women empowerment.
3Panchayati Raj in India
- India has a chequered history of Panchayati Raj
- Starting from a self-sufficient and
self-governing village communities surviving the
rise and fall of empires, to the modern legalized
institutions of governance provided with
Constitutional support. - During Rig Veda (1200 BC) the self governing
bodies called Sabha existed.
4Panchayati Raj in India (contd..)
- Feudalistic system of governance during Mughal
rule in the medieval India created a new class of
feudal chiefs and revenue collectors (Zamindars) - Panchayats (democratic systems) were never a
priority to the British rulers. They were
interested in controlled local bodies - During British rule, establishment of local civil
and criminal courts, revenue and police eroded in
value and effected the Panchayati System. - For a sustainable economic growth to take place
in any country, it is necessary that people
participate in political process of the society.
5VILLAGE GOVERNANCE
- The institution of Panchayati Raj is specifically
designed for rural population with the basic
objective of democratic decentralization and
devolution of power to ensure accelerated
socio-economic progress with every individual
being the architect of his/her own government. - Mahatma Gandhi dreamt of Gram Swaraj
Independent Village Republics and advocated
Panchayati Raj, as a decentralized form of
government where each village is responsible for
its own Governance.
6VILLAGE GOVERNANCE (contd..)
- Similar sentiments were expressed by our first
Prime Minister Jawahar Lal Nehru. - India is poor because villages of India are
poor. India will be rich if the villages of India
are rich. Panchayats should be given greater
powers, for we want the villagers to have a
greater measure of swaraj (self government) in
their own villages. - In the words of Prof Amartya Sen, Nobel Laureate,
It is empowerment that leads to entitlements and
entitlements lead to enrichment. - Village governance is empowerment of Rural India.
7Panchayati Raj Post Independence era
- The founding fathers of the Independent India
recognized the concept of self governance in the - Directive Principle of State Policy, vide Article
40, provided for setting up of village
Panchayats. - The Directive Principles of State Policy being
non justiciable , there was no pressure on any
state to set up such a system. After
independence, India accelerated the development
through active participation of people at grass
root level.
8- Post Independence Scenario - The decentralization
of socioeconomic development programmes - First
Five Year Plan. - Second Five Year Plan Conceptualize National
Extensive Service Blocks. - The Plans fail to accomplish decentralization
9- 73rd and 74th amendment of Constitution of India
(1993) empowered local governments rural and
urban , as constitutional entities and initiated
a new chapter in the process of democratic
decentralization in India. - Responsive Panchayats at Village level (gram
panchayats), Block level (intermediate
panchayats ) and District level ( zila panchayats
) came in existence in the states. - Democracy at the grassroot level as it is at the
state level or national level.
10The Panchayat Raj System
- The Panchayat Raj System has three tier
structures - Gram Panchayat
- Gram Panchayat is the first level elected body
and the basic unit of democracy , is the local
government with specific responsibilities. Gram
Sabha is the general body of the citizens of
entire village .
11- Panchayat Samiti
- Panchayat samiti is a local government body at
the tehsil or Taluka level, is the link between
the Gram Panchayat and the district
administration. - Zila Panchayat
- District level of Panchayat Raj System the Zila
Parishad.
12Panchayat Samiti
- Functions-
- Implement schemes for the development of
agriculture. - Establishment of primary health centers and
primary schools. - Supply of drinking water, drainage,
construction/repair of roads. - Development of cottage and small-scale industries
and opening of cooperative societies. - Establishment of youth organizations.
- Source of Income
- The main sources of income of the panchayat
samiti are grants-in-aid and loans from the State
Govt.
13Zila Parishad
- Functions
- Provide essential services and facilities to the
rural population. - The planning and execution of the development
programmes for the district. - Supply improved seeds to farmers. Inform them of
new techniques and training in Agro production. - Set up and run schools, Primary Health Centers
and hospitals in villages. - Construct bridges, roads and take care of public
properties.
14- Execute plans for the development of the
scheduled castes and tribes. - Works for women empowerment as per government
directives. - Encourage entrepreneurs, small-scale industries,
cottage industries, handicraft, agriculture
produce processing, dairy farms, etc. - Provide work for the poor people. (tribes,
scheduled caste, lower caste) and execute poverty
eradication programmes of the government. - Source of Income
- Taxes on water, pilgrimage, markets, etc.
- Grant from the State Government/Central
Government.
15Panchayat Raj Institutions Today
- About 3 million elected representatives at all
levels of the panchayat one-third of which are
women. - These members represent more than 2.4 lakh Gram
Panchayats - About 6,000 intermediate level tiers
- More than 500 district panchayats.
16- The new panchayats cover about 96 per cent of
India's more than 5.8 lakh villages - Nearly 99.6 per cent of rural population is
covered. - Challenges facing rural India are resolved by
rural participation. - The largest experiment in decentralization of
governance in the history of humanity.
17Achievements of Panchayat Raj Institutions
- The innovation has empowered the village
community - Widened the democratic base of rural India
resulting in inclusive and integrated growth. - Resulted in amazing development women
empowerment and emergence of women as leaders. - Large numbers of women are shouldering
responsibilities with grace and competence,
bringing enormous courage, enthusiasm and
creativity.
18Achievements of Panchayat Raj Institutions
(contd..)
- Empowerment with high degree of self confidence
and self esteem coupled, with political awareness
and service orientations. - Cross country rural market network- Rural
Business Hubs. Fusion of rural produce with
corporate expertise. - Instrumental in planning and executing N.R.E.G.
Act ensuring 100 day wage employment in every
financial year. - Instrumental in implementing rural development
schemes/ programmes of Central/ State governments.
19Aberrations in the Effort
- Bureaucratic methods of the State Governments
dilute the spirit of implementation. - In some cases Panchayats are becoming an
institutions to perpetuate cast inequalities,
that already exist. - The power rooted in caste, gender and sometimes
religion determines the functioning of Panchayat
system.
20District Rural Development Agency
- The Principal organ at District level, to develop
District capabilities. - Specialized and professional agency, capable of
effective programme design, and implementation of
different anti-poverty programmes. - Provide the linkage and support to the
implementing systems.
21District Rural Development Agency (contd..)
- Provides synergies among different agencies and
bring about a convergence approach - Catalyst to development process.
- Review the implementation process, ensure the
benefits earmarked to target group (e.g.
SC/ST/Women/Disabled) reach them. - Improve/propagate the awareness regarding rural
development and poverty alleviation programmes. - Empowering rural masses in their ability to
overcome poverty.
22Structure
- Each DRDA is under the charge of a CEO- Project
Director. - Where there are no Zila Parishads a cell is
created which maintains a separate identity. - Operational wings of DRDA look after Planning,
Social Mobilization, Credit, Technologies, Self
Employment, Women-cells, Watershed Management,
Engineering and Accounts. - A monitoring and evaluation wing overseen headed
by Project Economist.
23Key Areas for PRI for next 3-5 years
- Energizing gram sabhas or village electorates.
Ensuring accountability and transparency in these
bodies. - Sensitizing officials and facilitating stronger
panchayat - administration links. Enabling
panchayats to deliver on their promise of
facilitating more equitable and effective
development. - PRIs to develop broad based relationship with
NGOs, state government and various institutes for
greater impact and effectiveness. - On going evaluation on PRIs capacities to
effectively and inclusively perform multiple
development functions. - Help, generate pool of replicable ideas.
- States to take PRI seriously and commit resources
to them.
24Flagship Schemes for Rural Development
- National Rural Employment Guarantee Act launched
Feb 2006 in 200 District , extended to 593
district covering approx 450 lacs families with a
current outlay of 39100 crores. - Central Sanitation Scheme
- Sampoorna Gramin Rojgar Yojana
- Swarnjayanti Gram Swarojgar Yojana
- PURA Yojna
- MP/MLA Funds.
- Schemes by other departments
25Gram Swarajya
- The institution of Panchayati Raj is specifically
designed for rural population with the basic
objective of democratic decentralization and
devolution of power to ensure accelerated
socio-economic progress with every individual
being the architect of his/her own government. - The real effect will come when system is
participative and socio economic equality is
achieved A sociopolitical change for better
India.
26Thank You