Democratic decentralization involves meaningful authority being devolved to local governance units that are accessible and accountable to local citizens, who enjoy full political rights and liberty. It aims to shift decision-making closer to the people to enable their active and continuous participation under local popular control. Both the Balwanta Rai Mehata Committee report and Ashok Mehata Committee reports were landmarks in the history of democratic decentralization in India by advocating for decentralization of administration to levels closer to the people. The 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments helped democratize decentralization in India by devolving power to local self-governance institutions like panchayats.

1. DEMOCRATIC DECENTRALIZATION
A DISCUSSION ON
Raghunandan S

2. “My idea of village swaraj is that it is a
complete republic, independent of its
neighbors for its own vital wants, and yet
interdependent for many others in which
dependence is a necessity." Mahatma
Gandhi

3. Decentralization is the process of
redistributing or dispersing functions,
powers, people or things away from a
central location or authority.

4. Decentralization means transfer of
planning, decision-making or
administrative authority from the central
government to its field organizations,
local administrative units, semi-
autonomous organizations, local
governments or non-governmental
organizations.
Participation and control of governance
by the people of the country is the
essence of democracy.

5. 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. Blair (2000: 21).

6. “The greater the power of the
panchayats the better for the
people.“ - Mahatma Gandhi.

7. 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.

8. Both Balwanth Rai Mehata Committee report
and Ashok Mehata Committee reports can be
considered as landmarks in the history of
democratic decentralization in India.
With the introduction of the 73rd and the
74th Constitutional Amendments, the
decentralization has been democratized.

9. 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.

10. The crux of democratic decentralization lies in
concept of decentralized political as well as
fiscal blocks where members (people) can find
their own way of solution to address their
issues regarding development.