Administration/Part-3/27th October 2015.

Administration/Part-3/27th October 2015

Panchayati Raj.

-Under the Indian Constitution Article 40 of the Directive Principles provides for '' organization of village Panchayats''.
-Fifth entry of the State List of Seventh Schedule to the constitution of India deals with the Local Government.

Important Committees.

➡Balwant Rai Mehta Committee.
Government of India appointed this committee in January 1957 to examine the working of the Community Development Programme (1952) and the National Extension Service (1953) and to suggest measures for their better working. This committee was headed by Balwant Rai G Mehta. It submitted its report in November 1957. It recommended the establishment of the scheme of 'democratic decentralisation'.

-Some other recommendations of this committee were:
1. Establishment of a three-tier Panchayati Raj system: –
a. Gram Panchayat at the village level.
b. Panchayat Samiti at the block level and
c. Zila Parishad at the district level
2. Village Panchayat be constituted with directly elected representatives, Panchayat Samiti and Zila Parishad be constituted with indirectly elected members.
3. Panchayat Samiti should be the executive body,  Zila Parishad should be the advisory, coordinating and supervisory body,
4. There should be a genuine transfer of power,  adequate resources should be transferred. The recommendation was accepted by the National Development council in January 1958.

-Rajasthan was the first state to establish Panchayati Raj in Nagaur district on October 2, 1959. Then Andhra Pradesh adopted the system in 1959 itself. By mid 1960s most of the states created Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRI). But there were differences from one state to another with regard to the number of tiers, relative position of Samiti and Parishad, their tenure, composition, functions and finances.

For example:-
--Rajasthan – 3 tier system
--West Bengal - 4 tier system
--Rajasthan & Andhra Pradesh - Panchayat Samiti was powerful
--Maharashtra & Gujarat - Zila Parishad was powerful

➡Ashok Mehta Committee.
Janata Government appointed a committee on Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRI) in December 1977 under the chairmanship of Ashok Mehta. It submitted its report in August 1978 regarding strengthening of the declining Panchayati Raj system in India.

Some of its major recommendations were:-
1. Three-tier PRI system should be replaced by the two-tier
system, Zila Parishad at the district level,  Mandal Panchayat consisting of a group of villages with a total population of 15,000 to 20,000
2. District should be the first point for decentralization below state level with Official participation of political parties at all levels of panchayat elections.
3. PRI to have compulsory powers of taxation to mobilize their own finances.
4. Regular social audit of PRI by a district level agency and by a committee of legislators.
5. The state government not to supersede PRI. In case of supersession, elections should be held within 6 months from the date of supersession.
6. The Chief Electoral Officer of a state in consultations with the Chief Election Commissioner to organize and conduct the PRI elections.
7. A minister of panchayati raj should be appointed in the state council of ministers.
8. Seats for SCs and STs should be reserved on the basis of their populations.

➡G V K Rao Committee.
This committee was on Administrative Arrangement for Rural Development and Poverty Alleviation Programmes appointed by the Planning Commission in 1985 under the chairmanship of G.V.K. Rao. The committee came to conclusion bureaucratization of development administration as against the democratization weakened PRIs. Committee made the following recommendations:-
1. Zila Parishad (at district level) should be pivotal in the scheme of democratic decentralization.
2. Elections to the PRIs should be held regularly.

➡L M Singhvi Committee.
Rajiv Gandhi government in 1986 appointed a committee on 'Revitalization of Panchayati Raj Institions for Democracy and Development'. The committee was headed by L M Singhvi.

It made the following recommendations.
1. PRIs should be constitutionally recognized,  For this purpose a new chapter should be added in the Constitution of India;
2. Constitutional provisions to ensure regular, free and fair elections to PRIs.
3. Villages should be reorganized to make Gram Panchayats more viable. It emphasized the importance of the Gram Sabha. The Village Panchayats should have more financial resources.
4.Nyaya Panchayats should be established for a cluster of villages.
5.The Judicial tribunals should be established in each State to eradicate controversies about election to the Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRI).

➡Constitutionalization.

-The Narsimha Rao Government introduced the Constitutional Amendment Bill in the Lok Sabha in September 1991.
-It was passed by the Lok Sabha on December 22, 1992 and by the Rajya Sabha on December 23. Later, it was approved by the 17 State Assemblies and received the assent of the President of India on April 20, 1993.