Panchayat Raj System and Historical Perspective of Local Government, Balwantrai Mehta Committee Report and 73rd Amendment of Constitution

1. Concept of Democratic Decentralization
Panchayat Raj System and Historical Perspective of Local Government, Balwantrai
Mehta Committee Report and 73rd Amendment of Constitution

2. The concept of Democratic Decentralization
• Decentralization is the process of redistributing or dispersing
functions, powers, people or things away from a central
location or authority.
• Democratic decentralization can be defined as meaningful
authority devolved to local units of governance that are
accessible and accountable to the local citizenry, who enjoy
full political rights and liberty. It thus differs from the vast
majority of earlier efforts at decentralization in developing
areas
• Participation and control of governance by the people of the
country is the essence of democracy.

3. Panchayat Raj System

4. Introduction
• The Panchayati Raj in India generally refers to
the system introduced by constitutional amendment
in 1992, although it is based upon the
traditional panchayat system of South Asia.
• The Panchayati Raj system was formalized in 1992,
following a study conducted by a number of Indian
committees of various ways of implementing more
decentralized administration.

5. Panchayati Raj as the foundation of India's
political system
• Mahatma Gandhi advocated panchayati raj as the
foundation of India's political system, as a
decentralized form of government in which each
village would be responsible for its own affairs.
• The term for such a vision was Gram Swaraj ("village
self-governance"). Instead of it India developed a
highly centralized form of government.

6. Function and Levels of Panchayat Raj
• In India, the Panchayati Raj now functions as
a system of governance in which gram panchayats are the
basic units of local administration.
• The system has three levels:
• Gram panchayat (village level)
• Mandal Parishad or block samiti or panchayat samiti
(block level) and
• Zila Parishad (district level).
• It was formalized in 1992 by the 73rd amendment to the
Indian Constitution.

8. Historical Perspective of Local
Government

9. The history of modern local self-government in India
may be divided into five distinct periods.
• The first ends with the issue of the well-known resolution of Lord Ripon
in 1882.
• The second ends with the initiation of Dyarchy in the provinces in
1919.
• The third ends with the commencement of provincial Autonomy in
1937.
• The fourth period ends with the framing of the Constitution of India in
1947.
• The final period was set in motion in 1952 after the Indian constitution
came into force in 1950. During this period momentous alterations
highlighting rural development have taken place

10. Balwantrai Mehta Committee Report

11. • The principle thrust of Balwanta Rai Mehata
Committee report was towards decentralization on
democratic institutions is an effort to shift decision
centers close to the people to enable their active and
continuous participation under local popular control.
• The Ashok Mehata committee’s principal thesis was
the functional necessity for decentralization of
administration level closer to the people
• Both Balwanth Rai Mehata Committee report and
Ashok Mehata Committee reports can be considered
as landmarks in the history of democratic
decentralization in India.

12. The introduction of the 73rd and the 74th
Constitutional Amendments, the
decentralization has been democratized

13. 73rd Amendment of Constitution

14. The 73rd Amendment covers many areas that
would enable the Panchayats to improve the
lives and wellbeing of poor and vulnerable
groups. Moreover, it contains specific provisions
that guarantee the participation of traditionally
excluded groups, and transparency for local
institutions such as the Gram Panchayats and
the Gram Sabha.

15. Salient Features of the 73rd and 74th
Constitution Amendment Acts (1992)
1. Panchayats and Municipalities will be “institutions of self-
government”.
2. Basic Units of Democratic System - Gram Sabhas (villages) and Ward
Committees (Municipalities) comprising all the adult members
registered as voters.
3. Three-tier system of panchayats at village, intermediate
block/taluk/mandal and district levels. Smaller states with population
below 2 million only two tiers.
4. Seats at all levels filled by direct election
5. Seats reserved for Scheduled Castes (SCs) and chairpersons of the Panchayats at
all levels also shall be reserved for SCs and STs in proportion to their population.

16. Cont.….
1. One-third of the total number of seats reserved for women. One-third of the seats
reserved for SCs and STs also reserved for women. One-third offices of chairpersons
at all levels reserved for women.
2. Uniform five year term and elections to constitute new bodies to be completed
before the expiry of the term. In the event of dissolution, elections compulsorily
within six months.
3. Independent Election Commission in each state for superintendence, direction and
control of the electoral rolls.
4. Panchayats to prepare plans for economic development and social justice in respect
of 29 subjects listed in 11th Schedule. 74th Amendment provides for a District
Planning Committee to consolidate the plans prepared by panchayats and
Municipalities.
5. Funds: Budgetary allocation from state governments, revenue of certain taxes,
collect and retain the revenue it raises, Central Government programmes and
Grants.
6. In each State a Finance Commission to determine the principles on the basis of
which adequate financial resources would be ensured for panchayats and
municipalities.

17. References