PANCHAYATI RAJ

PANCHAYATI RAJ

Nearly eighty per cent of the Indian population dwells in the villages and so the  importance of
the rural local government cannot be overlooked.  Mahatma Gandhi was the greatest champion
of the concept of decentralisation of power. He propounded the concept of the autonomous
village republic, completely self-sufficient in  all matters. He repeatedly said “Indian
independence must begin at the bottom.” To fulfil Gandhiji’s  dream, Article 40 of the
Constitution states, “The State shall take steps to organise village Panchayats and endow them
with such powers and authority as maybe necessary to enable them to function as units of self-
government.” The leaders of the country  ealised that no real economic progress of the country
can take place unless the millions of people  of rural areas changed their traditional outlook and
methods of production. With a view to achieving this end, on 2nd
 October, 1952, the Community
Development Programme was introduced  in the rural areas. Blocks of hundred villages each

were created to  implement the programme. The administrative set-up at the district, State and
Central levels was geared up according to requirements of the programme. Village workers were
involved in this programme. 

Balwant Rai Mehta Report

The main thrust of the Balwant Rai Mehta Report was towards decentralisation of democratic
institutions. It was  stated, “Democracy has to function through certain  executive machinery but
the democratic Government operating over large areas through its executive machinery cannot
adequately appreciate local needs  and circumstances. It is, therefore, necessary that there  should
be devolution of power and decentralisation of machinery and that such power be exercised and
such machinery controlled and directed by  popular representatives of the local areas.”

The members, therefore, suggested reorganisation of village local self-government through the
establishment of a three-tier system of rural local gov-ernment. The Panchayats were to be
reorganised in the context of the democratic  structure of Government. Democratic
decentralisation, in other words, implies people’s right to initiate their own projects for local
well-being and the power to execute and operate them in  an autonomous manner.  

The term ‘Panchayati Raj’ refers to a three-tier structure of rural  local self-government in each
district and calls for a transfer of responsibility for much of rural  development administration to
these local authorities. Each State in India was asked to evolve a system of Panchayati Raj  on
the basis of the principles laid down by the Balwant Rai Mehta study team.  Thus, today most of
the States have a three-tier structures with Gram Sabha and Gram Panchayat at the village levels,
the Panchayat Samiti at the block level and Zila Parishad at the district level.
 

The recommendations of Balwant Rai Mehta Committee came into effect on 1st April, 1958. Earlier
in January, 1958, the scheme of Panchayati Raj was approved by the National Development Council.
The NDC laid stress on the following principles :

I. There should be a three-tier structure of local self-governing bodies from  village to
district levels, with  an organic link  from the lower to the higher ones.
2. There should be a genuine transfer of power and responsibility to these bodies.
3. Adequate financial resources should be  transferred to these bodies to enable them to
discharge the responsibilities.
4. All development programmes at these  levels should be channelled through these bodies.
5. The system evolved should be such  as to facilitate further decentralisation  of power and
responsibility in future.

The significance of the Panchayati Raj  institutions lay in the fact that the motive force for
development was to come from the people themselves, the State assisting with supplies services, and
credit. The co-operative principles were to be applied infinitely to solve all problems of rural life.

The Panchayati Raj scheme was introduced First  by Rajasthan on October 2, 1959. It  was later
adopted by Mysore (presently known as Karnataka),  Tamil Nadu, Orissa, Assam, Punjab. Uttar
Pradesh, etc.  At present, all States have  this  system with  minor variations.

Structure of Panchayati Raj
The Balwant Rai Mehta Committee in  its report suggested a three-tier system of Panchayat. 
These are :
(a) Gram Panchayat at the village level
(b) Panchayat Samiti at the block level
(c) Zila Parishad at the district level Let us now briefly discuss the structure and  functions of
all these bodies.
At the village level —

Gram Sabha  : The Gram Sabha  consists of all the residents of the village. The Balwant Rai
Mchia team  envisaged only the Gram Panchayat  at the lowest tier of the Panchayati Raj
hierarchy. The Gram Sabha  was a later development, although it has been  functioning since
1947 in at least two States — U ttar Pradesh and Bihar. Today, all States which have introduced
the Panchayati Raj form of local Government have provided for a Gram Sabha. Gram Sabha is a
statutory body in all the States except Kerala and Tamil Nadu. In these States, it is a corporate
body having perpetual succession and is entitled to enter into contracts and can sue or be sued.  

Composition : The composition of Gram Sabha is not the same in all the States. Whereas in
Bihar, Orissa and Rajasthan adult residents in the village or a group of contiguous villages are its
members.  In the remaining States, it consists of all voters in ihe area, i.e., persons whose names
appear on the electoral rolls of the State Legislative Assembly
Thus, Gram Sabha is the only political institution in the country through which direct democracy
is in operation. The Gram Sabha elects from its members an executive committee called the
Gram Panchayat or simply Panchayat. The Gram Sabha also elects its President who becomes
the ex-officio Sarpanch, or the Chairman of the Panchayat.

Meetings : The Gram Sabha normally meets twice a year — soon after the rabi and kharif
harvests. In Orissa it meets only once a year. However, the functioning of Gram Sabhas reveals
that these bodies meet irregularly  and go about their business without any marked
comprehension. These bodies have, therefore, proved to be very ineffective.  

Functions : The Gram Sabha considers annual statement of accounts and audit report of the
Panchayat; reviews progress of work done by the Panchayat; considers and approves the annual
budget drawn up by the Panchayat; and, draws up plans for the devel-opment of the Sabha area.

Jurisdiction :  The jurisdiction of the Gram Sabha is “generally coterminous with a revenue
village. How-ever, Assam, Gujarat, Maharashtra, West  Bengal, Punjab, Rajasthan and Uttar
Pradesh club together a number of villages  for constituting the Gram Sabha.  Thus, the size of
the Gram Sabhas varies from 250 to 5000 with an average of about 3000 members.  
Gram Panchayat: As already stated, the Panchayat is the executive committee of Gram Sabha.
It is known by various names like Panchayat in Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and
Rajasthan, Gram Panchayat in Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Punjab and West Bengal, and by
the name of Gaon Panchayat in Assam, Gujarat, and Uttar Pradesh. It generally caters to  a
population of about 2000. 

Composition  : The membership of the Panchayat varies from five to thirty one. Its members are
called the Panches and are elected by the Gram Sabha by secret ballot in all the States except 
Assam, Jammu and Kashmir and Uttar Pradesh. In these States the method of election is by show
of hands.  

President: The presiding officer of the Panchayat is known by various names like Sarpanch in
Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Jammu  and Kashmir, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Orissa, Punjab
and Rajasthan, President in Assam, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, Pradhan in Uttar Pradesh, Mukhiya 
in Bihar and Orissa and Adhyaksha in West Bengal.

President’s Election : The Panchayat President is directly elected by the people of Orissa; by
the Gram Sabha in Assam. Bihar, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal; by Panches in Andhra
Pradesh, Gujarat Jammu and Kashmir,  Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Karnataka.
The  President  can be removed from his office, provision for which has been made in all State
legislations. The usual method for removal of the President is by a majority of two-thirds of
votes of the members of the Panchayat present and voting.

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