Essays

The panchayati raj system is best suited for developmental and administrative needs of India's rural masses because of wide variation in the nature and magnitude of local problems. It is an inexpensive form of local government which can identify the local problems and issues more realistically and expeditiously act to resolve them judiciously.

The Panchayats provide a forum where local people can meet and chalk out programmes of their own progress. Thus, existence of panchayati raj enables the country to have more meaningful developmental plans in which mass participation of the rural population can be issued. The basic objective of panchayati raj is to evolve a system of democratic decentralization and devolution of powers, functions and authority to the rural people with a view to ensuring rapid socio- economic progress and speedier and inexpensive justice.

This is to be achieved through

(i) increasing agricultural production

(ii) development of rural industries

(iii) fuller utilization of available manpower and natural resources

(iv) fostering co-operation among the rural masses

(v) amelioration of the conditions of the weaker sections of the rural community

(vi) progressive decentralization of authority and encouragement of voluntary agencies.

The panchayati raj system has a three-tier structure, viz.

(i) the Village Panchayats

(ii) the Panchayat Samitis and

(iii) the Zila Parishad. While most of the States have adopted this three-tier structure, in some of the states and Union Territories there is only a two-tier system and in some cases, only a one-tier system.

The Village Panchayat or Gram Panchayat: The village panchayat or the gram panchayat functions at the village level. There is a panchayat for each village or a group of villages in case the population of these villages happens to be too small. Members to the village panchayat are elected through voting in a general assembly of the village known as the Gram Sabha. All adult members of the village elect the council called village panchayat or gram panchayat and they hold the office normally for a three-year term. They also elect their Chairman known as Village Pradhan.

The village panchayat has a secretary and a village level worker (Gram Sevak) to assist it in its functioning. The panchayat formulates the programme for agricultural production and makes arrangements for the co-operative management of village land. It also seeks to ensure a minimum standard of cultivation for raising agricultural production.

Panchayat Saniiti: The panchayat samiti is the main executive body which operates at the block level. All the elected Chairmen (Village Pradhans) of the village panchayats composing that block are the members of the panchayat samiti. President and vice-president of the panchayat samiti are elected from among the members for a three-year term. The main functions of the panchyat samiti are to prepare, execute and co-ordinate the programmes of development at the block level. The samiti is charged with the responsibility of preparing and implementing plans for the development of agriculture, animal husbandry, fisheries, cottage and small scale industries and rural health by the block development officer and extension officers.

(iii) Zila Parishad: The Zila parishad functions at the district level and is responsible for making, executing and coordinating the programmes of rural development for the entire district. The members of the zila parishad are: (i) the presidents of all the panchayat samitis in the district, (ii) the Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLA.s) from the district and (iii) the Member of Parliament (MP) representing the district. The chairman of the zila parishad is elected from among its members. The zila parishad is provided assistance and guidance for carrying out its development programmes by the district collector and other district level government officials.

The panchayati raj system has been established in all the States and Union Territories except Meghalaya, Nagaland, Lak- shadweep and Mizoram. A three-tier system is in existence in Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Arunachal Pradesh and Chandigarh.

A three- tier system also exists in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, but instead of zila parishad, they have the District Development Councils which are advisory bodies with no, executive powers. Laws have been enacted to set up elected zila parfehads in Karnataka, Assam, Haryana, Manipur, Orissa, Delhi and Pondicherry have a two-tier system, while in the remaining States and Union Territories a one-tier system is operative. There are about 220 lakh gram panchayats, 5.30 thousand panchayat samitis and 351 zila parishads existing in the country at present.