Panchayat Raj Institutions (PRIs) in India have been given the
Constitutional status under the 73rd amendment to the Constitution in 1992.
Since then better functioning of this institution is one of the most important
consequences for this mechanism of democratic devolution of the powers which
this institution was made for. Under this imperative, the Government of India
has established number of specialised committees to submit recommendations for
proper functioning of PRIs in the country. One of such efforts is the formation
of the Mani Shankar Aiyar Committee. This article reviews the recommendations
made by the Committee for better functioning of the PRIs in India. Since the
article has been written with special reference to the committee, it does not
carry much wider survey of the literature. The Committee has done an intensive
study containing four volumes, about various aspects of the PRIs. This article,
however, analyses only one aspect, i.e., the section on devolution of powers in
PRIs.
INTRODUCTION
THE EXPERIENCE of Panchayat Raj Institutions even twenty years
after having constitutional status through 73rd amendment suggests that they
have not emerged as genuine institutions for decentralised local
selfgovernance. The Government of India is trying to find out its drawbacks
through a number of committees, workshops and seminars, etc., to ensure better
functioning by adequate funds, proper power devolution mechanism and increased
participation of the people, etc. One of such efforts, was the constitution of
an expert committee under the chairmanship of Shri Mani Shankar Aiyar in the
Ministry of Panchayat Raj on August 27, 2012, which has submitted its report on
April 24, 2013 entitled Towards Holistic Panchayat Raj. The day was the eve of
the 20th anniversary year of the constitutional provision of Part IX of the
Panchayat Raj and its notification in the Gazette of India on April 24, 1993.
Although the Expert Committee was notified in the Gazette of India on August
27, 2012, it took the Chairman a few weeks, as a Member of Parliament, to
secure from the Joint Committee on Offices of Profit, the required clearance to
take up his duties as Chairman. The basic objective of the committee was to
examine how the PRIs might be leveraged to secure more efficient delivery of
public goods and services. In its four-volume report, the Committee has
reviewed the status of Panchayat Raj, its present state, devolution of power to
PRIs by the Central and state governments and collateral measures.
Further, it has examined the provisions of decentralised
planning through PRIs and District Planning Committees, Training, Competency
Building and Capacity Development. Moreover, the committee has also taken the
issues of women, weaker sections and backward regions in PRIs in poverty
alleviation and livelihood programmes, productive sectors of the rural economy,
rural infrastructure, education, skill development, culture and sports, health
and family welfare, nutrition and food security schemes etc., for the weaker
sections and backward regions. The report entitled Towards Holistic Panchayat
Raj discusses collateral measures to be acted on simultaneously to enforce all
dimensions of local self-governance. This will ensure the devolution of powers,
authority and responsibility for economic development and social justice as
intended by the Constitution, rather than becoming the vehicle for the
devolution of corruption (Aiyar, et al. 2013: xv-14). The Committee begins with
the issues related to the actual empowerment of the PRIs. It says that although
99 per cent of the mandatory provisions of Panchayat Raj have been implemented
by the state governments, but the actual empowerment of these institutions has
not been taken place. Therefore, it focuses on the mechanisms for effective
allocation of resources to deliver the goods and services of the Centre.
Moreover, the Central Government releases Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSSs)
for the development plan of the villages. This includes two-thirds to
three-quarters of all the funds and programmes that go to the villages.
However, these village development plans are not implemented by Panchayats, but
by the government officials who are accountable to their superiors, not to
beneficiaries, that is, people of the villages.
That not only breeds corruption but also siphons off the
funds (Tehelka Magazine, 2013. Vol.10, Issues 20, May 18, 2013). The CSSs tend
to bypass PRIs by setting up committees that not only impaired the functioning
of village Panchayats but also provided overlapping membership of several
committees that isolate them from accountability to the local communities. The
Committee stresses that only local institutions of self-government can be held
statutorily responsible to Gram/Ward Sabhas. Accordingly, a fundamental
principle of grassroots governance must be there for all schemes falling within
the domain of the Eleventh Schedule, any committee (by whatever name) must be
either embedded in the PRI system or established with an organic link to PRIs,
particularly the Village Panchayat, which, in turn, will be responsible and
accountable to the community as a whole in the Gram Sabha/Ward. In this light,
the Committee recommended that PRIs, particularly Village Panchayats, be
empowered through CSS guidelines to network (Aiyar, et al. 2013: 58). The
functionaries of the PRIs need training and capacity building measures for its
representatives, bureaucrats and technocracy to reorient their attitude towards
political governance. This will overcome the excuses for not devolving
functions and funds to PRIs because of the lack of administrative skill and
restoring the parallel bodies which are not accountable to PRIs or Gram Sabhas.
And they owe their loyalty and responsiveness to the line departments who have
created them.
Moreover, orientation programmes will make the officials
conscious that they are servants, not masters, of the elected grassroots
institutions. Above all, it should be made obligatory for line department
officials to hold frequent and regular interactive sessions with elected PRI
representatives at each level of the Panchayat Raj system to intensively brief
them about the line department work (Ibid: 70). This would be the most
practical and sustained way of capacity-building for PRIs and training for PRI
representatives. Because, without civil service support under their overall
political direction, Central and State Ministers would be quite lost as PRI
representatives tend to be. Rotation of Reserved Seats As the Constitution
provides reservation of seats for women, SCs and STs, however, it does not
require rotation of reserved seats to take place at every successive round of
elections. This could be constitutionally extended to three terms or more, even
as rotation of reserved seats in the Central and State legislatures, but this
has been taking place only once in three decades or so, thereby giving SC/ST
representatives tremendous opportunity for “learning on the job.” Longer
tenures for women, especially SC and ST women, and SCs/STs in general will
ensure both efficient performance and effective empowerment of them. It will
also reduce the practice of ‘sarpanch patis’ especially under 50 per cent
reservation for women. 180 / INDIAN JOURNAL OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION 180 / VOL.
LXI, NO. 1, JANUARY-MARCH 2015 Institutional Recommendations The Expert
Committee strongly recommends the constitution of a single Ministry of
Panchayats and Nagarpalikas, howsoever named, to jointly promote the
elaboration and implementation of the 73rd and 74th amendments together. This
will adhere to the constitutional ideal of local self-government into a single
constitutional amendment, so that the artificial distinction between urban and
rural local self-government that prevent looking at the district as an
integrated unit for interlocking rural-urban economic progress is removed
(lbid:96). Ministry for
Local Self-government at the Centre would encourage the
establishment of similar departments in the states. The institution like
District Planning Committee (under Article 243 ZD) could undertake the function
of buckling the urban centres of each district to their respective rural
hinterland. It will be possible only if state governments voluntarily bring the
DPC under the District Panchayat, as the Ministry of Rural Development stated
to integrate the District Rural Development Administration (DRDA) with the
District Panchayats. This institutional amelioration will ensure rural
development, especially in those villages which are in transition from
Panchayat to Municipality status are, often, the worst affected by
reclassification. Further, the Committee proposes the establishment of a
statutory National Commission on Panchayat Raj (with state level Commissions
wherever state governments agree to setting up such Commissions) on the pattern
of the National Commissions for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Minorities,
etc. for the implementation of the provisions of Part IX (and Part IXA) of the
Constitution. These Constitutional provisions need to be continuously overseen
by a National Commission on Panchayat Raj, and its state branches. Such a
statutory National Commission would ensure rights-based entitlements to PRIs
and individual citizens, as has been so successfully demonstrated with regard
to Rights-based Information and Rights-based Women and Child Rights. The ambit
of Public Interest Litigation and the Right to Information Act might be taken
into account by the proposed National Commission on Panchayat Raj in addressing
citizen and civil society grievances of PRIs (and against PRIs) in the light of
the relevant mandatory and recommendatory constitutional provisions read with
the provisions of the relevant State legislation, as also relevant government
orders. Collateral Measures at State Level/ Devolution of Power at State Level
Besides, the Committee has broadly outlined the measures for the devolution of
power at the state level for better functioning of PRIs as it is enlisted in
the State subject of Part VII of the Constitution. Accordingly, the states
should also devolve by law the powers and responsibilities to the Panchayats to
let them function as units of “local self-government” (Aslam, 2011:7).
Devolution to local government essentially has three
components: devolution of appropriate functions with authority to make related
expenditure decisions, fiscal devolution for availability of funds to perform
devolved functions, and administrative devolution of putting in place
functionaries. There could be several reasons for such a failure of which the
important ones are: Lack of political will to devolve power to lower level
elected governments, lack of administrative will to bestow authority by the
bureaucracy, state’s inability to create required posts in Panchayats and
reluctance by State employees to work under the Panchayats, departmental
opposition to part with their budgetary allocation in favour of the Panchayats
which have been devolved to the Panchayats, which is partly due to the
compulsion of bearing the share of Centrally Sponsored Scheme out of their own
budget. Local governments are still considered subordinate entities to States
largely entrusted with agency functions, predominantly funded by tied revenue
transfers from above, and critically dependent upon deputed State government
staff with little accountability to the Panchayats for implementation of their
schemes (Aiyar, et al., 2013:79). Moreover, Panchayats are subordinated or
bypassed by other State institutions, in which the bulk of local governance
responsibilities are entrusted. Such faulty design of devolution, practised so
far in most States, is the main reason for the weakness in the present
Panchayat system. Without correcting these systemic defects, the Panchayats
cannot be leveraged to improve delivery of local goods and services, comparable
to a local government. In view of the above factors, the Aiyar Committee has
analysed the means to strengthen the local self-government by the state
governments. Keeping in mind the existing framework of functioning of the
Panchayats, its deficiencies and inconsistencies, the Commmitte suggests
corrective measures to overcome these and make the Panchayat Raj system a
vibrant local government. The following are the main points: Devolution of
Functions The better functioning of PRIs is based on the assignment of clearly
defined roles to efficient delivery of services as also for people to hold them
accountable for their performance. Because the ordinary people have little
understanding of the delivery system and view themselves as beneficiaries to
receive benefits rather than as right-bearers who can demand service. In such a
situation, Panchayats need to function effectively. 182 / INDIAN JOURNAL OF
PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION 182 / VOL. LXI, NO. 1, JANUARY-MARCH 2015 Activity
mapping should be done by all States, as a prior exercise for devolution for
the major areas of service delivery, such as health, education, nutrition,
water supply, sanitation, various other civic services, employment generation,
poverty alleviation and local economic development, livelihoods, agriculture
and allied sectors, social security and disaster management, etc. Activity mapping
should also clearly state where the function is a devolved core function, where
the Panchayats function as agencies, and where they have a mediating role.
Besides the constitutional provisions, the Ministry of Panchayati Raj (MoPR)
should come out with incentives for the States to take up the process and
facilitate the same by organising professional support (Ibid: 98).
Activity mapping should be linked to budget envelopes with a
separate statement of funds allocated to PRIs in an annexure to the budget.
Mediating Role for Delivery of Goods and Services Panchayats are also ideally
positioned to improve delivery of goods and services by higher tiers of the
government, public utilities and even private providers by mediating with the
providers of goods and services at higher level on behalf of local residents as
being a representative body. Any Panchayat could take cognisance of failure of
such delivery of its own without any public resentment/complaint and can
mediate with appropriate government/public authority for rectifying such
failures. Fiscal Decentralisation The Constitution has made adequate provisions
for financial availability of PRIs that includes Central and State grants to
the Panchayat as well as their own sources of revenues. Under Central grants,
the Committee has recommended two separate incentivisation grants, first a
grant to incentivise States to devolve more powers and authorities to the PRIs
and second a grant to incentivise PRIs to be more transparent and accountable
in their economic affairs (lbid:90). Panchayat transactions should be more
transparent and to be more alert in demanding accountability from the elected
representatives and officialdom in the Gram Sabha. Further, in raising their
own resources it stresses for independence of action, transparency of
transactions and accountability towards community. Having full right for
appropriation of taxation and revenues will enable them to explain their
respective communities that taxes are raised to meet the specific needs of the
communities. This will help PRIs to acquire the political strength and
political will to act as fiscal authorities for both raising and spending
community revenues. Moreover, technological support for availability of data
regarding taxable properties will help to generate more taxes and will be more
up-to-date in maintaining records over several years and in having their
accounts duly audited.
Under its constitutional responsibilities the Central
Government gives as “The Backward Region Grant Fund (BRGF)” whose appropriation
is a subject of scrutiny and supervision of Gram Sabha under integrated
planning. Accordingly, the CSS should provide necessary guidelines for the vast
sum of money that is being sent for rural development and poverty alleviation.
Another CSS scheme known as Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), a provision of cash
to beneficiaries, such as pensions and scholarships, etc., cannot be a
substitute for Panchayat Raj. It also suggests that Gram Panchayats should be
appointed as business correspondents for banks (in addition to individuals) and
provided with mini-ATMs for the dispersal of cash benefits, including MNREGA
wages, to beneficiaries, preferably in the presence of Gram Sabhas, especially
where PRIs are not located conveniently near a bank branch. Own revenue of the
PRIs are elaborated in the Constitution; accordingly local government has to
collect these. However, these are very limited and most of these taxes are less
elastic and not capable of generating significant quantum of own revenue.
Further, the full potential for taxation remains untapped due to outdated tax
estimation systems, discretionary power with tax estimation and lack of
collection agencies, or disregarding existing norms, low ceiling limits on
taxes that can be collected, or legislative abolition of local taxes,
non-revision of taxes at regular intervals according to the law, poor coverage
of taxable properties, inability to take action against big defaulters, lack of
well-trained staff, etc. Provisions which raise the tax revenues of Panchayats
include: assignment of tax and non-tax revenue and its collection powers to
Pachayats, capacity building of Panchayat in tax administration, incentive for
collection, data collection and analysis, etc. Further, in order to facilitate
the funding of PRIs from higher levels of governments, in the long run, should
only be provided as topping up grants, on the presumption that local revenue
are deemed to have been collected. These must be untied, as only then will
local planning and prioritisations have any real meaning. To strengthen the
Accounting and Auditing of PRIs accounting classification may be adopted
forthwith by all the states. Besides, a separate classification in the budget
books of both the state and the Central government will need to be adopted for
devolved funds. Such heads of account may be describe as “devolved” Heads of
Account and further classified into “revenue” or “capital” heads. The revenue
head would have a separate subhead to deal with transfer of funds to meet the
salary requirement of deputed staff. Devolution of Functionaries Strong
administrative set-up of Panchayats includes having adequate number of
qualified employees with relevant expertise, clear accountability of the
elected body, laying well-defined administrative rules and regulations and
putting in place a system for monitoring their performance and enforcing
compliance to rules and regulations in their functioning. In most States, there
is neither adequate number of employees having due capacity to perform their
tasks, nor is there clear accountability of those employees to the Panchayats.
In addition to that, the rules and regulations are not always clearly defined;
there is poor oversight function to check if the existing rules are being
violated.
Administrative experience and education level of the elected
functionaries in Panchayats, particularly in the GPs, are not always adequate
to comprehend the bureaucratic processes and they rather look forward to the
employees for guidance (lbid: 106). To ensure the proper devolution of
functionaries the committee has made the recommendation for creation of
Panchayat cadres of employees at the block, district, and State level, surplus
number of staff in one department, procedure for convergence and
cross-departmental movement particularly of Group D and Group C levels, who are
non-technical in nature, such as assistants, superintendents and office staff,
etc.. A Panchayat Service Commission may be established in each State for
recruitment of various cadres of Panchayat employees, unless the State Public
Service Commission is entrusted with that responsibility. There must be an
emphasis on recruitment of women to the posts of Secretaries of Gram
Panchayats. Government of India should provide support for creation of posts
and other related issues for the permanent employees of the Panchayat, where the
State should have such freedom to create posts at Gram and Intermediate
Panchayats depending on their population coverage for proper utilisation of
those personnel. Physical infrastructures of Panchayats are also necessary.
Free and Fair Election State Election Commissions (SECs) should be authorised
to decide the date of elections, the number of phases required, security law
and order, financial independence, and control over election staff, as is the
case with the Central Election Commission, as also authorised to undertake
delimitation and operationalisation of the Task Force, etc. Further,
preparation of a common voters list for Parliament, Assembly and Panchayat
elections, innovations such as e-voting, use of mobiles for rear time
transmission of information relating to disruption of free and fair elections,
etc., should be under the domain of SECs. Moreover, after anyone is elected to
an office, s/he should be allowed to continue in office without disqualifying
the person on flimsy grounds. The power to disqualify any elected
representative should, therefore, not remain with anyone who is a part of the
State government and ideally should rest with the SECs. Also, once any member
is disqualified and the seat falls vacant, the legal process of disposal of the
charges against the member must be completed fast enough so that, if the member
is acquitted from the charge leading to his/her disposal, he/she gets the opportunity
to contest again in the election to be held for filling the post. The process
of removal and resignation of different elected officials should be
well-defined and safeguarded that there is no arbitrariness or scope for
manipulation or coercion.
The State Election Commission should be empowered to conduct
Panchayat elections as these are fought at very grassroots level where issues
of social stratification such as class and caste are very intense; there is
higher voter turnout there and ruling party influence is very likely. Longer
cycle of delimitation will be appropriate for free and fair election as well as
healthy governance at Panchayat rather than having delimitation in every five
years. Several funding streams for Panchayats now prescribe the constitution of
elected Panchayats at all three levels as a pre-condition for the release of
funds. Deepening Decentralisation and Participation Regular meeting of Gram
Sabha is necessary because the body of voters are living in the village and are
supposed to review all development programmes of the village, selection of
beneficiaries for different programmes are transferred to the PRIs and
preparing plans for local development, including minimum needs, welfare and
production-oriented programmes. Meeting of Gram Sabha could be inclusive and
participative if the date, time and location for the Gram Sabha meetings should
be convenient for all to participate. There should be enough publicity for Gram
Sabha meetings through the local media and local communication methods. In
meetings, freedom of expression should be encouraged so that no single group
dominates the proceedings. NGOs may be encouraged to promote awareness and
people’s participation and common interest groups, such as Self-Help Groups
(SHGs), etc. should also be incorporated. To sustain interest in Gram Sabha
meetings, agendas must be circulated in advance and full disclosures of budgets
and resources available for planning and implementation should be provided.
Video recording of the proceedings of the Gram Sabha will be helpful.
Large-size Panchayats may have meeting of the voters constituency-wise or at
the neighbourhood level. That helps in better participation of the people and
those bodies become quite important in providing inputs for village-specific
development plans for being included in the GP plans.
In large States, Village/habitation level committees will be
helpful to deal with the specific issues of the people. Effective social audit
of Gram Panchayat, may require voluntary council of experts and eminent
citizens ideally constituted by the Gram Sabhas. The practice of various
community-based organisations such as Watershed Development Committees, Village
Water Supply and Sanitation Committees, Village Education Committees, Joint
Forest Management Committees, etc., should submit their reports before the Gram
Sabha and this must be promoted. This will also greatly aid in their eventual
integration into the Panchayats. Selection of beneficiaries such as below
poverty line people, (BPL), etc., requires surveys data with names and faces
that can be conducted through multipurpose household survey under the
supervision of the GP. Collegiate Functioning of the PRIs Besides, vertical
decentralisation, it is necessary to have horizontal decentralisation of
responsibilities among the different elected members of each body. This can be
done by formation of subject-specific Standing Committees (SC). However,
detailed guidelines are required for the functioning of these committees. There
must be arrangements for preserving all resolutions, budget documents and
published literature in any designated public library and giving soft copies of
the same to the Common Service Centres. Each tier of Panchayat will have one
public library earmarked for that purpose. Panchayats, NGOs and CBOs
Functioning of NGOs and CBOs at village level should be collaborative to PRIs
rather than undermining the Constitutional authority of PRIs. NGOs can play
many roles like building voter awareness, use of Right to Information Act,
capacity building of Panchayats through training, exchange programmes, visits
to successful Panchayats, building networks and lobby bodies and information
sharing, etc. NGOs can assist District Planning Committees to take up
evaluation studies on Panchayat performance and educate people periodically so
that they can better hold their Panchayats account, etc. They can also take up
difficulties faced by Panchayats because of various constraints beyond their
control with higher tiers of government and drawing attention of the civil
society at large for removing the constraints faced by the PRIs. Other
Collateral Measures The appellate authorities for the Panchayat are mainly two:
the Intermediate Panchayat and Zila Parishad (ZP), and finally the District
Magistrate and the state.
While setting up an appellate tribunal system, like Kerala,
would be adequate to hear appeals from the exercise of regulatory powers by the
Panchayats. And an Ombudsman system to investigate against law breakers and
mal-administration in the field of administrative activity will be appropriate.
This will take care of the citizen’s grievances relating to due process being
disregarded in rendering a service or deciding on a claim. This will provide a
strong system of checks and balances required to make the system work with
greater efficiency that will be different from Lokayukta which is much focused
on corruption and punishment. The body could be headed by a judicial officer of
the rank of a High Court Judge and other Ombudsmen could be selected from a
panel of judicial officers of the rank of District Judges and administrative
officers of the rank of Secretary to the State government. The Ombudsman can
act on complaints from elected members or citizens or on reference by audit
authorities of government or initiate proceedings suo motu (lbid:132).
Accountability Mechanism Like GP at village level, there is a need of such
authorities at intermediate and District levels. These bodies at district and
the intermediate Panchayat levels may be called Zilla Sansad and the Block
Sansad, respectively. Apart from elected bodies who are members of the ZP, all
chairpersons of intermediate Panchayats along with vice-chairpersons/
chairpersons of intermediate Panchayat may be made members of the Zilla Sansad.
Officials from the State level may remain present as invitees. Important officials
of district and block levels may also be invitees to attend the meetings
without having any voting right. The Block Sansad may consist of all members of
the intermediate Panchayats, the ZP members from within the block area, the
Pradhans and members of all the SCs at the GP level. Important officials at
block and GP level may also attend as invited members.
Such Sansads should be held at least twice a year and there
should be certain norms and rules of functioning. Examination of Accounts
related to devolved fund to be arranged at the district level Panchayats should
provide a simple Utilisation Certificate (UC) that fund has been received and
utilised, following all norms. A District Public Accounts Committee (DPAC)
should be constituted at each Zila Parishad (ZP). The DPAC may be constituted
under the chairmanship of the Leader of the Opposition of the ZP, with
proportionate representation from all political parties represented in the ZP.
It may be given the authority for checking compliance to rules in respect of
all expenditure made by any Panchayat within the district. An Accountant
General should prepare a status report on Panchayat Accounts, which should be
laid before Legislative Assembly which will also examine all expenditure being
made by the Panchayats of the district, irrespective of whether fund available
is out of own resources or devolved fund or any fund transferred to execute any
specific work (lbid:134). Forum for Discussion on Devolution Establishment of a
common forum on which the State and the Panchayats can participate is desirable
which would cover important matters such as the inter-governmental fiscal and
administrative architecture and a mechanism to resolve disputes that may arise
between levels of government. Some States have provided for a State Development
Council or a Panchayat Council as such a forum. Ministry of Panchayati Raj
(MoPR) may take necessary advocacy and facilitation.
The Panchayat Directorate, district Panchayat office and the
block level Panchayat Unit (Panchayat Development Officer, Audit Officer,
etc.), are to be strengthened appropriately for functioning of the Panchayats
and provide necessary support to the Panchayats when needed. The State
Government should prepare a format for self-assessment by Panchayats and
prescribe that they will give their self-appraisals within a given time every
year to analyse the strength and weaknesses of the Panchayats for appropriate
correction and facilitation. This will help each tier for improving their
performances (lbid:135). The State government must disclose the analysis on
various aspects of functioning of the Panchayats in the public domain for
information of the Panchayats as well as for people for their better
understanding about the Panchayats. It should also encourage every Panchayat to
assess and improve their performance. The Panchayat Directorate should measure
and monitor institutional aspects of functioning of Panchayats on a regular
basis, possibly once in a quarter at block and district level. There should be
legal professionals available at district Panchayat office for assisting all
Panchayats on legal issues in the course of their functionings. To fulfill the
pre-requisites of good political leadership for smooth functioning of
Panchayats the committee suggests forming a Panchayat Cell within political
parties to supervise activities of their members as functionaries of Panchayats
and ensure accountability towards Panchayat, rather than their political
higher-ups. The cell may have at least 10 per cent or more share of the total
elected posts. Constitutional Amendment for Strengthening Devolution The
Committee has made several suggestions for Constitutional amendments.
However, the Part IX of the Constitution is an elaborate
one, but it should be implemented in letter and spirit. The Committee that in
fullness of term and time and when political conditions permit, an amendment
can be done in Article 243-1 to strengthen the Fiscal Devolution Framework, to
ensure smooth functioning of the State Finance Commissions in terms of
acceptance of its recommendation, to remove inordinate delays in placing action
taken reports before the State legislature for the smooth flow of Central
revenue shares to Panchayats. In view of increasing urbanisation, a District
Council may be formed by constitutional provision but not as an alternative to the
Zila Parishad (District Panchayat). The Council will comprise constituencies
from both urban and rural areas and will thus have jurisdiction over both areas
of the district. A unified local government at the district level, will take
care of all district sector activities of department (e.g., education, health,
drinking water supply, etc.) irrespective of rural or urban areas, and provide
better rural-urban convergence and ensure similar standards of living for both
rural and urban population (lbid:138). Implementation of the above mentioned
provisions will deliberately speed up the fulfilment of the aims and objects of
the constitutional provisions of democratic decentralisation. This would also
propel such significant leveraging of PRIs as to ensure exponential improvement
in efficiency in the delivery of public goods and services, thus bringing
social equity in line with the growth of the economy for “Faster, Sustainable
and Inclusive Growth” the overarching goal of the 12th FiveYear Plan (2102-07)
(lbid:75).
Courtesy: http://www.iipa.org.in/upload/full%20journal%20for%20mail.pdf
