Panchayats and Possibilities: the Indian Experience

1. Panchayats and Possibilities: the Indian Experience Rashmi Shukla Sharma

2. Should we have Panchayats • Pros • Economic argument • Need-based planning and public service delivery • Lower costs of public service delivery • Community argument • People’s participation: need identification, contribution etc. • People’s control over bureaucracy leading to greater accountability of public servants • Grassroots democracy: deliberation and decision-making at the local level • Transparency in governance • Cons • Less expertise available at local levels • Influence of local elites • Less complex institutional structure (such as courts, media etc.) for democracy • Economies of scale may be missed out

3. Panchayat Policy • ‘Policy’ on Panchayats is not written down anywhere • It exists in practice, and has to be discerned from laws, programmes and government directives. • As Panchayats are a state subject, each state has its own policy on Panchayats, which is a combination of national policy and state policy • National policy exists in: • The provisions in the Constitution • National programmes and various types of technical assistance to states • Support provided to Panchayats, especially through the Central Finance Commissions • Along with this common frame, states have adopted different policies

4. Evolution of Panchayats • At Independence • In the Constitution, Panchayats were mentioned in Directive Principles only. • Why? • Aspirations for a modern nation state, not agrarian society • Main policy focus: Centrally led rapid industrial development, rural development not as important • Emergence of Panchayats from late 1950s to mid-1960s • Community Development projects for rural development: holistic rural reconstructionand self-reliance • Balwantray Mehta Committee to review CD projects • Found lack of popular initiative in rural development . • Recommended three tier Panchayat structure for rural development: Block level to be most important • In practice: • Strong Panchayati Raj systems developed in Maharashtra and Gujrat, where district Panchayats became powerful and played key role in rural development and agriculture. • Elite capture in many Panchayats

5. Evolution of Panchayats • Mid 1960s to Mid 1970s: Panchayats decline • Regular elections not held • Subsidiary legislation transferring powers to politicians and bureaucrats • Why? • Centralization in politics, person-centric power, erosion of democracy • In agriculture policy: intensive use of technology in a few districts • Renewed national interest in Panchayats in 1977 • Why • Greater concern for the agriculture and rural sector • Desire to protect democracy • In general, states neglected Panchayats, often not even holding regular elections. • Real growth of Panchayats took place in two states • Karnataka created an effective two tier Panchayati Raj system at district and mandal level • West Bengal created highly politicized Panchayats and mobilized people. Gram Panchayats implemented land reform and agriculture development programmes

6. Evolution of Panchayats • ‘Need’ for Panchayats in policy debates and reports from mid 1980s • Why? • Limited effectiveness of poverty alleviation programmes • Mechanical implementation • Leakage of funds • Management oriented reforms did not bring about change • The rural sector: Bharat versus India • The government in 1989 attempted to amend the Constitution to make Panchayats mandatory, but failed, as this was seen as an infringement by the Centre on the powers of the states. • In 1993, the government finally succeeded with the 73rd Constitution Amendment, which made elected Panchayats mandatory.

7. Some Lessons • In India Panchayats have been promoted when: • Rural development has been on the agenda as in the late 1950s and early 1960s • Democracy has been important as in 1977 • Involvement of people has been sought to implement policies, as in West Bengal in the 1970s and 1980s. • Reform of governance: ending corruption, improving services are prioritized as in the late 1980s • Poverty alleviation has been important as in the late 1980s • Panchayats benefit the political party in power as in the late 1980s and early 1990s. • Panchayats neglected when • Power is personalized, concentrated. • Democracy is sought to be vitiated • Better governed states have been more likely to promote Panchayats • Panchayats, when strengthened, have played a significant role in rural and agriculture development, poverty alleviation etc.

8. The National Framework: Constitution • Mandatory Constitutional Provisions • Three tiers of Panchayats (2 tiers in states with less than 20 lakh population) • Elections to Panchayats every five years under the superintendence of State Election Commissions • Direct elections to all seats in all levels of Panchayats • Indirect elections for Block and District Panchayat Presidents • Reservations for SCs, STs in proportion to population, and one third reservation for women • Constitution of Gram Sabha • State Finance Commission reports every five years to allocate grants, taxes etc. to Panchayats.

9. The National Framework: Programmes • Panchayati Raj Ministry aims to strengthen Panchayats • BRGF, now discontinued, to provide untied grant to Panchayats in backward areas. • RGPSA: provide manpower, infrastructure, training • E-enablement of Panchayats • Technical support provided on planning, accounts and various other processes • However, Central Government as a whole does not work through Panchayats • Most central programmes work through departments, not Panchayats • MGNREGA gives central role to Panchayats

10. The National Framework: Central Finance Commissions • From 1995, with the Tenth Finance Commission, funds were allocated for Panchayats. • Successive Central Finance Commissions have increased funding to Panchayats. • The Fourteenth Finance Commission has awarded a grant of Rs.2,00,292.20 crore for Gram Panchayats from 2015-2020. This is more than three and a half times the amount recommended by the Thirteenth Finance Commission. • This is likely to strengthen Panchayats.

11. Areas of State Policy • Powers of Panchayats • Devolution of Funds, Functions, Functionaries to Panchayats • Powers of Gram Sabha • Capacity of Panchayats • Provision of staff, training, infrastructure to Panchayats • Structure • Reservation for backward classes • Extent of reservation for women: up to 50% in 16 states. • Direct or indirect election of Gram Panchayat Presidents • Empowerment of different levels of Panchayats: Which tier of Panchayats is most important. • Size of Gram Panchayats • Rules for Panchayat processes such as planning, decision-making, accounting, audit

12. Key Areas of Concern in State Policy • Inadequate devolution or paper devolution • Panchayats given only general supervisory powers • Functions assigned, but not funds and functionaries • No untied funds given to Panchayats • Poor manpower and infrastructure • In some states such as UP, very inadequate manpower • Around 50,000 Panchayats without buildings • Lack of water, electricity, computers etc. • Inadequate technical support and processes

13. Most Advanced Panchayats: Kerala • Kerala Policy • 25% plan Funds to Panchayats • To be used as per plans prepared by Panchayats • Detailed process of planning developed • Gram Panchayats most important • Bureaucracy under dual control of departments and Panchayat • Intensive training and development of processes • E-enablement of Panchayats • Attempts to increase people’s participation

14. Most Advanced Panchayats: Kerala • What have Kerala Panchayats done? • Made and implemented context-specific plans • Infrastructure built in neglected SC/ST colonies • Infrastructure for schools, Anganwadis etc. • Taken up people-friendly schemes such as: • Housing for poor • Support to SHGs for livelihoods • Additional nutrition in Anganwadis • Educational excursions for school children • Health camps • Care of aged and disabled • Corruption is contested in Panchayats, and is reportedly less than in centralized governance

15. Thank You