Panchayat Raj System in India

The panchayati raj is a South Asian political system mainly

in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal. It is the oldest system of local government in the Indian
subcontinent. The ord !panchayat! literally means !assembly! "ayat# of five "panch# ise and
respected elders chosen and accepted by the local community. $oever, there are different forms of
assemblies. Traditionally, these assemblies settled disputes beteen individuals and villages. %odern
Indian government has decentrali&ed several administrative functions to the local level, empoering
elected gram panchayats. 'ram panchayats are not to be confused ith the unelected
khap panchayats "or caste panchayats# found in some parts of India.
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Panchayat raj
Panchayat +a, is a system of governance in hich gram panchayats are the basic units
of administration. It has - levels. 'ram "village, though it can comprise more than one village#, /anpad
"block# and 0illa "district#.
The term !panchayat ra,! is relatively ne, having originated during the British administration
(citation
needed*
. Raj literally means !rule!. %ahatma 'andhi advocated Panchayati Raj, a decentrali&ed form of
'overnment here each village is responsible for its on affairs, as the foundation of India1s political
system. The term for such a vision as Gram Swaraj "!village self2governance!#.
The leader of the panchayat as generally called the mukhiya, a position hich as both hereditary
and elected.
Recommendations of Balwant Rai Mehta Committee[edit]
The Balant +ai %ehta 3ommittee as a committee appointed by the 'overnment of India in
/anuary )456 to e7amine the orking of the 3ommunity 8evelopment Programme ")459# and the
National :7tension Service ")45-# and to suggest measures for their better orking. The
recommendations of the committee ere approved by N83 in /anuary )45; and this set the stage for
the launching of Panchayati +a, Institutions throughout the country. The committee recommended the
establishment of the scheme of <democratic decentralisation= hich finally came to be knon as
Panchayati +a,.
"i# :stablishment of a -2tier Panchayati +a, system 2 'ram Panchayat at the village level, Panchayat
Samiti at the block level, and 0ila Parishad at the district level.
This system as adopted by state governments during the )45>s and ?>s, as las ere passed to
establish panchayats in various states. It also found backing in the Indian 3onstitution, ith the 6-rd
amendment in )449 to accommodate the idea. The Amendment Act of )449 contains provision for
devolution of poers and responsibilities to the panchayats both for the preparation of economic
development plans and social ,ustice, as ell as for implementation in relation to 94 sub,ects listed in
the eleventh schedule of the constitution.
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The panchayats receive funds from three sources.
(9*
). @ocal body grants, as recommended by the 3entral Ainance 3ommission
9. Aunds for implementation of centrally sponsored schemes
-. Aunds released by the state governments on the recommendations of the State Ainance
3ommissions
In the history of Panchayati +a, in India, on 9B April )44-, the 3onstitutional "6-rd Amendment# Act
)449 came into force to provide constitutional status to the Panchayati +a, institutions. This act as
e7tended to Panchayats in the tribal areas of eight states, namely Andhra Pradesh, 'u,arat, $imachal
Pradesh, %aharashtra, %adhya Pradesh, Cdisha and +a,asthan starting 9B 8ecember )44?.
3urrently, the Panchayati +a, system e7ists in all the states
e7cept Nagaland, %eghalaya and %i&oram, and in all Dnion Territories e7cept 8elhi.
(-*
The Balwant
Rai Mehta Committee as a committee appointed by the 'overnment of India in /anuary )456 to
e7amine the orking of the 3ommunity 8evelopment Programme ")459# The Act aims to provide a -2
tier system of Panchayati +a, for all States having a population of over 9 million, to hold Panchayat
elections regularly every 5 years, to provide seats reservations for scheduled castes, scheduled
tribes and omenE to appoint a State Ainance 3ommission to make recommendations as regards to
the financial poers of the Panchayats and to constitute a 8istrict Planning 3ommittee to prepare a
development plan draft for the district. The -2tier system of Panchayati +a, consists.
). Fillage2level Panchayats
9. Block2level Panchayats
-. 8istrict2level Panchayats.
Poers and responsibilities are delegated to panchayats at the appropriate level.
Preparation of the economic development plan and social ,ustice plan.
Implementation of schemes for economic development and social ,ustice in relation to 94
sub,ects given in the :leventh Schedule of the 3onstitution.
To levy and collect appropriate ta7es, duties, tolls and fees.
Block panchayat
A block panchayat "panchayat samiti# is a local government body at the tehsil or taluka level in India.
This body orks for the villages of the tehsil or taluka that together are called a 8evelopment Block.
The panchayat samiti is the link beteen the gram panchayat and the district administration. There
are a number of variations of this institution in different states. It is knon as %andal Pra,a Parishad
in Andhra Pradesh, Taluka panchayat in 'u,arat, %andal Panchayat in Garnataka, Panchayat Samiti
in %aharashtra etc. In general, the block panchayat is a form of the Panchayati ra, but at a higher
level.
Constitution
The constitution is composed of e72official members "all sarpanchas of the panchayat samiti area, the
%Ps and %@As of the area and the S8C of the subdivision#, co2opt members "representatives of
S3HST and omen#, associate members "a farmer of the area, a representative of the cooperative
societies and one of the marketing services#, and some elected members.
The samiti is elected for 5 years and is headed by the 3hairman and the 8eputy 3hairman.
Departments
The common departments in the Samiti are as follos.
). 'eneral administration
9. Ainance
-. Public ork
B. Agriculture
5. $ealth
?. :ducation
6. Social elfare
;. Information technology and others.
There is an officer for every department. A government appointed Block 8evelopment Cfficer "B8C#
is the e7ecutive officer to the Samiti and the chief of its administration.
unctions
Implementation schemes for the de!elopment of a"riculture#
). :stablishment of primary health centres and primary schools.
9. Supply of drinking ater, drainage and constructionHrepair of roads.
-. 8evelopment of cottage and small2scale industries, and the opening of cooperative societies.
B. :stablishment of youth organisations.
Sources of income
The main source of income of the panchayat samiti are grants2in2aid and loans from the State
'overnment.
District le!el panchayat[edit]
The governing system at district level in Panchayat +a, is also popularly knon as !0ila Parishad!.
3hief of administration is an officer from IAS cadre.
Aunctions.
). Provide essential services and facilities to the rural population
9. Supply improved seeds to farmers. Inform them of ne farming techniIues
-. Set up and run schools and libraries in the rural areas
B. Start Primary $ealth 3enters and hospitals in villages. Start vaccination drives against
epidemics
5. :7ecute plans for the development of the scheduled castes and tribes. +un ashramshalas for
adivasi children. Set up free hostels for them
?. :ncourage entrepreneurs to start small2scale industries and implement rural employment
schemes
6. 3onstruct bridges, roads J other public facilities and their maintenance
;. Provide employment
Sources of Income.
). Ta7es on ater, pilgrimage, markets, etc.
9. Ai7ed grant from the State 'overnment in proportion ith the land revenue and money for
orks and schemes assigned to the Parishad.
Centrality of Panchayati Raj Institutions[edit]
In various 3entrally Sponsored Schemes "3SSs# and Additional 3entral Assistance "A3As# the
Panchayati +a, Institutions "P+I1s# have been given centrality
(B*
Mahatma $andhi %ational Rural &mployment $uarantee 'ct (M$%R&$')
[edit]
Dnder Section )- of the Act ,
(5*
Panchayats at district, intermediate and village levels are the principal
authorities for planning and implementation of %'N+:'A . and at least 5> per cent of %'N+:'A
funds are to be spent by the 'ram Panchayats "'Ps#. Aor this the 'ram Sabhas "'Ss# has to
recommend special pro,ects to the 'Ps and conduct social audit of %'N+:'A orks. Also
the 8istrict Programme 3oordinators and Programme Cfficers are to assist 8istrict and
Intermediate Panchayats respectively in discharge of their functions.
Saa*shar Bharat Mission(SBM)[edit]
The SB% launched in 9>>4, is a programme aimed at creating a @iterate Society through a variety of
teaching learning programmes for non2literate and neo2literate of )5 years and above.
(?*
The SB% is
envisaged to involve community P+I1s and omen self2help groups in its endeavour. Around B45
blocks ith 6,6-4 panchayats ill be covered under the mission.:ach panchayat ould have a @ok
Shiksha Gendra. A male and a female prerak, elected by the panchayat, ill comprise a @ok Shiksha
Gendra to monitor the volunteers under the mission. :ach @ok Shiksha Gendra ill have around 5>2?>
Shiksha Gendras, here each volunteer ould educate around 9>2-> persons in an area.
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%ational Rural Drin*in" +ater Pro"ramme (%RD+P)[edit]
The %inistry of 8rinking Kater and Sanitation has revised the N+8KP guidelines under hich, from
9>))L)9, in the inter2State allocation criteria, )>M scheme funds have been linked to States=
performance on a %anagement 8evolution Inde7 "%8I# hich measures the e7tent to hich a State
has decentrali&ed the management of the programme.
(B*
Panchayats have been the backbone of the Indian villages since the beginning of
recorded history. In 1946, Gandhi had aptly remarked that the Indian independence
must begin at the bottom and every village ought to be a epublic or a Panchayat
!ith po!ers. "is dream got translated into reality !ith the introduction of the three#
tier Panchayati a$ system to ensure people%s participation in rural reconstruction.
&he passage of the Constitution (73
rd
Amendment) Act, 1992 'or simply
the Panchayati Raj Act( marks a ne! era in the federal democratic set up of the
country. It provided the much needed constitutional sanction to the Panchayati a$
Institutions 'PIs( for functioning as an organic and integral part of the nation%s
democratic process. It came into force !ith effect from )pril *4, 199+ and did not
apply to the ,chedule - areas of the nine states, ,chedule -I )reas of the .orth#/ast
and the 0istrict of 0ar$eeling in 1est 2engal as !ell as 345.
&he Panchayati a$ )ct !as needed in order to streamline the functioning of the
PIs, !hich !ere marked by long delays in holding of Panchayat elections, fre6uent
suspension 7 super session 7 dissolution of the Panchayat bodies, lack of functional
and financial autonomy, inade6uate representation of marginali8ed and !eaker
sections and meager, occasional and tied Government grants. &his crippled the
functioning of Panchayats and did not allo! them to function as institutions of local
,elf#Government as had been envisaged in the 9onstitution.
Features of the Act
&he )ct has five main features: 'a( a +#tier system of Panchayati a$ for all ,tates
having population of over *; lakh< 'b( Panchayat elections regularly every = years< 'c(
reservation of seats for ,cheduled 9astes, ,cheduled &ribes and !omen 'not less
than one#third of seats(< 'd( appointment of ,tate >inance 9ommission to make
recommendations as regards the financial po!ers of the Panchayats, and 'e(
constitution of 0istrict Planning 9ommittees to prepare development plans for the
district as a !hole.
&hus, the Panchayats have been endo!ed !ith such po!ers and authority as may be
necessary to function as institutions of self#government and social $ustice. Providing
real functional autonomy at the village level is at the core of the amendment )ct.
Achievements
)s a result of the enactment of the )ct, *,+*,*?@ Panchayats at village level< 6,;**
Panchayats at intermediate level and =+= Panchayats at district level have been
constituted in the country. &hese Panchayats are being manned by about *9.* lakh
elected representatives of Panchayats at all levels. &his is the broadest representative
base that eAists in any country of the !orld B developed or under#developed.
ssues in m!"ementation of the Panchayat Raj Arc#t
0espite the positives like enactment of ,tate Panchayati a$ )cts, ,etting up of ,tate
/lection 9ommission and ,tate >inance 9ommissions, and holding of regular
Panchayat elections providing reservation for ,9s7,&s71omen in Panchayats, the
results of implementation of the 9onstitution '?+
rd
)mendment( )ct, 199* at the
ground level have fallen far short of eApectations. ,tating specifically,
1. )lthough the political decentrali8ation can be clearly seen in the regular
Panchayat elections !ith good participation of people, the administrative and
fiscal decentrali8ation have remained rather limited. &he ,tate Governments have
failed to give up their control on matters of local administration and finance.
*. Panchayats have not been granted enough po!ers for revenue generation. )s
a result, they only have limited functional autonomy.
+. ecommendations of ,tate >inance 9ommissions ',>9s( are generally not
taken seriously.
4. Po!ers given to the ,tate /lection 9ommissions also vary from ,tate to ,tate.
&hey should have been given po!ers to deal !ith all matter relating to Panchayat
elections namely, delimitation of constituencies, rotation of reserved seats in
Panchayats, finali8ation of electoral rolls, etc.
=. Gram ,abhas have not been empo!ered and strengthened to ensure greater
people%s participation and transparency in functioning of Panchayats as
envisaged in the Panchayat )ct.
Panchayats ($%tension to the &chedu"ed Areas) Act, 199' (or P$&A Act,
199')
&he P/,) )ct, 1996 is regarded as a corrective legal measure to the ?+
rd
amendment
'Panchayati a$ )ct( in order to eAtend the provisions of the Panchayat a$ to the
,cheduled and &ribal areas falling under the ,chedule >ive areas of the nine ,tates,
namely )ndhra Pradesh, 9hhattisgarh, 3harkhand, Gu$arat, "imachal Pradesh,
Caharashtra, Cadhya Pradesh, Drissa and a$asthan. &he P/,) )ct, 1996 !hich
came into force on *4
th
0ecember, 1996. It gave radical governance po!ers to the
tribal community and recogni8es its traditional community rights over local natural
resources.
It not only accepts the validity of Ecustomary la!, social and religious practices, and
traditional management practices of community resourcesF, but also directs the state
governments not to make any la! !hich is inconsistent !ith these. )ccepting a clear
cut role of the community, it gives !ideranging po!ers to Gram Sabhas, !hich had
hitherto been denied to them by the la!makers of the country. &he ,tate
Governments !ere re6uired to enact their legislation in accordance !ith the
Provisions of )ct before the eApiry of one year i.e. *+
rd
0ecember, 199?.
P/,): ) Potent 1eapon )gainst the .aAal -iolence
Poor m!"ementation of the P$&A Act, 199'
Tribal Dnrest
It also needs to be pointed out that tribal areas represent the last sumps of natural
resources on this planet, simply because tribal lifestyle and culture have inherent
respect for the forests and natural resources and tribal religions and outlook ensures
survival of all living beings, through holistic and ecologically sound belief system.
P/,) offers a !onderful !ay to strengthen their hands in the larger interest of social
$ustice as !ell as deepen grass#root democracy. Implementing the follo!ing
suggestions !ill achieve both the goals.
/ven after a decade and a half after the P/,) )ct, there is very little
a!areness about the Gram ,abha being designated as a selfgoverning body or
having legal $urisdiction over the natural resources and forests. .either is there
any support mechanism for the Gram ,abhas to play any significant role.
It is a clear indication that sincere implementation of P/,) has not been
seriously attempted by the state governments. &hey still !ant to govern the P/,)
areas through the centrali8ed administration and la!s that actually !eaken !hat
P/,) provisions offer the tribal community. &here is hardly any !illingness on
the part of the officials of various departments to relin6uish control on resources
and functions that are given to the Gram ,abhas by P/,). .or do they have any
respect for tribal lifestyle and culture. 1hat is needed is the empo!erment and
capacity building of the tribal community through a sustained a!areness
campaign so they can take charge of their lives as envisioned in the P/,)
provisions.
&here is an urgent need to amend the Indian >orest )ct, Gand )c6uisition )ct,
and other related )cts so that the o!nership on minor forest produce, !ater
bodies and land resources are eAplicitly handed over to the Gram ,abhas of the
P/,) areas.
.o ,tate Government officer should have the po!er to over#rule any
recommendation of a Gram ,abha. &his legacy of 2ritish a$ is anti#democratic
and must be abolished immediately.
&he current system of governance is still largely colonial in nature and the
bureaucracy conditioned on centrali8ed authority has been unable to accept the
radical change envisioned in the P/,) )ct. &herefore, in order to sensiti8e them
an immediate eAtensive training#cum#a!areness campaign for all relevant
officials of various ministries should be initiated.
&here is a need that Gram ,abha institutions should be developed as
institutions ofse"f()overnance and not treated merely as institutions of "oca"
)overnance. &he re6uired administrative structure and machinery should be
provided for making the Gram ,abha an effective body of district administration.
It is also imperative that the Gram ,abhas have direct access to funds so that they
can eAercise their po!er rather independently.
Physical infrastructure in interior areas should be strengthened in order to
protect the life and property of tribals. ,pecial attention should be paid to the
construction of culverts, bridges, check dams, compound !alls for schools, etc.
&he concept of community o!nership of resources in P/,) areas should be
integrated into the provisions of the 9entrally ,ponsored ,chemes. )ll
community resource based schemes should involve Gram ,abhas in planning and
implementation.
Hou may also like to kno! ho! the tribal areas of the ,iAth ,chedule )reas are being
governed and ho! they compare !ith the P/,) and PI areas: Governance in the
,iAth ,chedule )reas
Structure and Major Functions of Panchayati Raj
Institutions (PRIs) in India
Though the basic structure of the P+Is is identical across the states of India, it is described via
different nomenclatures in different states. Panchayats in every state has its on characteristics and
even election procedures to these institutions are at variance.
A 8istrict Panchayat or Zilla Parishad is co terminus ith the district. :ach district has one 0illa
Parishad.
Similarly Block Panchayats or Panchayat Samitis are co terminus ith blocks of the said district.
A Block may have several villages within it, but Gram Panchayats are not necessarily co terminus
with each village. 8epending on the si&e of population "as a matter of fact, number of voters#
a Gramis defined under the la ith a specific geographical area, hich may consist of a single
village or a cluster of ad,oining villages.
%embers of Panchayats.
'. Zilla Panchayat
:ach block Panchayat under a 0P elects oneHtoHthree members directly "depending on number of
voters ithin it#. Presidents of all the Block Panchayats are also e72officio members of the 0P. In
some states the %ember of @egislative Assembly "%@A# and %ember of Parliament "%P# of the
districtHconstituency are also e72officio members.
B. Block Panchayat or Panchayat Samiti.
:ach 'P under a Block Panchayat elects oneHtoHthree members directly to the Block Panchayat. 'P
pradhans are e72officio members of the Block Panchayats.
C. Gram Panchayat.
A 'ram as defined under the Act "meaning a village or a cluster of villages# is divided into a minimum
of five constituencies "again depending on the number of voters the 'ram is having#. Arom each of
these constituencies one member is elected. Body of these elected members is called the 'ram
Panchayat. Si&e of the 'Ps varies idely from state to state. In states like Kest Bengal, Gerala etc. a
'P has about 9>>>> people on an average, hile in many other states it is around ->>> only.
D. Gram Sabha.
In most of the states, each constituency of the members of the 'ram Panchayat is called the $ram
Sa,ha and all the voters of the same constituency are members of this body. $oever, in some
states this is called Kard SabhaHPalli Sabha etc. In Kest Bengal it is called Gram Sansad "village
parliament#. 'ram Sabha in Kest Bengal has a different meaning. $ere all the voters of the 'ram
Panchayat as a hole constitute the 'ram Sabha.
Dnder the 3onstitution there can be only three tiers of the Panchayat. !he Gram Sabha is not a tier o"
the PR system. It does not have any e7ecutive function and operates as a recommending body only.
'ram Sabhas hold meetings normally 9 to B times a year, but can meet as and hen necessary. In
some states dates of these meetings are fi7ed "%adhya Pradesh, 'u,arat etc.# hile in others dates
are fi7ed by the 'ram Panchayats. Issues to be discussed in the meetings can be ide ranging but
the essential agenda should include. Annual Action Plan and Budget, Annual Accounts and Annual
report of the 'P, selection of beneficiaries for different social service programmes "Indira Aas
No,ana "IAN#, Pension Schemes etc.#, identification of schemes for preparation of Annual Plan for
development programmes "e.g. %'N+:'S# of 'P, consideration of the Audit reports, analyses of
'P=s performance etc.
The diagram at the end of the note demonstrates the typical structure of the rural local governance
system in India, taking the e7ample of Kest Bengal.
unctionin" of Panchayats
As per the 3onstitution, Panchayats in their respective areas ould prepare plans for economic
development and social ,ustice and also e7ecute them. To facilitate this, states are supposed to
devolve functions to Panchayats "94 sub,ects as mandated# and also make funds available for doing
these "as per State Ainance 3ommission=s recommendations#. The functions of Panchayats are
divided among different 3ommittees "as ministries are formed in state and union governments#, hich
are called Standing 3ommitteesHSthayee SamitisHDpa Samitis etc. Cne of the members remains in
charge of each of such committees hile the over2all charge rests ith the chairperson of the
Panchayat. Panchayats are supported by a host of other of officials, the number of hich varies from
state to state.
Apart from grants received from the government under the recommendation of the Ainance
3ommission, Panchayats receive schematic funds for implementation of schemes "%'N+:'S,
B+'A, IAN etc.#. They can also raise revenue by imposing ta7es, fees, penalties etc. as per rule of
the state.
Dia"ram- Rural .ocal $o!ernance System (Panchayati Raj Institutions or PRIs) in +est Ben"al
Each GP member represents a specified geographical area and numbers of
voters. This is called Gram Sansad (village parliament).
NB2I. All the Panchayat Samitis ithin the geographical limit of a district come under the said 8istrict
Panchayat or 0illa Parishad.
NB2II.All the 'ram Panchayats ithin the geographical limit of Panchayat Samiti come under it.
Panchayat Samiti and 8evelopment Block is co2Terminus.
NB2III.A 'ram Panchayat ill have at least five and ma7imum of -> members. :ach member has a
specified area and voters "constituency# that he represents hich is called 'ram Sansad "village
parliament#
'DS. 'ram Dnnayan Samiti "village development committee# is a small committee constituted by
'ram Sansad and chaired by the elected 'P member of the same 'ram Sansad. Its function is to
help the 'P prepare village level plan e7ecute them though social mobili&ation etc.
Three Tier Panchayati Raj System
Union Minister of Panchayati Raj Shri Vilasrao Deshmukh March !" informed
the Rajya Sa#ha that $here Part I% of the &onstitution a''lies" States are re(uired to
constitute Panchayats at three tiers" i)e)" Villa*e" Intermediate andDistrict e+ce't the States ha,in* a
'o'ulation of less than - lakhs" $hich may not constitute a Panchayat at Intermediate le,el)
Re'lyin* to a $ritten (uestion the Minister said .lections to Panchayats ha,e #een held in all the
States as mandated in Part I% of the &onstitution e+ce't /ammu 0 1ashmir $hich has its
o$n Panchayati Raj 2ct) Detailed information is at 2nne+)
2s 'er 2rticle -3!M of the &onstitution" State of 4a*aland" Me*halaya" Mi5oram" Si+th Schedule
2reas and hill areas of Mani'ur are e+em'ted from a''lication of Part I% of the &onstitution)