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INTRODUCTION

1. The Government of India works of three levels. It is difficult for the government to operate from a single point.
2. It has to divide its task at various levels – The central level, the state level and the local  level.
3. The local level means the government in village, town or city.
4. In this three tier system at the village level, we have the Gram Panchayat.
5. At the block level we have panchayat samiti. Above the Panchayat Samiti we have Zila Parishad.
6. The vision of Mahatma Gandhi, to empower the villages has been translated into a reality through the three tier system of the Panchayati Raj.
7. A federal government has two or more tiers of governments.
8. In India initially we had only two levels of government i.e.
9. Central and the State. But a vast country like India cannot be run only through these two -tiers.
10. States in India are as large as independent countries of Europe. Many of these States are internally very diverse.
11. Thus there is a need for power sharing within these states.
12. This is the rationale for decentralisation of power.
13. Thus resulted a third-tier of government, called local government.
14. A local government is an institution which is constituted to look into
15. local problems and to provide bare amenities to the people of a village, a town or a city.

PANCHAYATI RAJ:

 

1. Article 40 under the Directive Principles of State Policy directs the State “to organise village Panchayats as units of self-Government”.
2. On October 2,1953 a network of National Extension Services (NES) for rural development was created.
3. In 1992, 73rd Amendment Act, gave constitutional status to the Panchayati Raj institutions.
4. It created the third tier of federalism in India, below the Central government level and the State government level.
5. The objective of this Amendment was to make democracy more powerful and effective by giving power to the grass-roots units of self-government.

 LOCAL GOVERNMENT:

    Rural                                     Urban
(A) Zila Parishads                Municipal Corporation
(B) Block Samitis                 Municipal Councils
(C) Panchayats                      Muncipalities

 LOCAL GOVERNMENT IN RURAL INDIA

 

1. The Panchayati Raj is also an important form of the local government in the rural areas.
2. The panchayati Raj is a three-tier system.
3. It has Panchayats at the root or village level,
4. Block Samitis at the block level and the Zila Parishads at the district level.
5. Village Panchayts are the basic units of Panchayati Raj.
6. The Block Samiti or the Prakhand Samiti is the second layer of the three-tier system of Panchayati Raj.
7. The Zila Parishad or the District Council is the top layer in the three-tier system of Panchayati Raj.
8. All the three institutions together look after the needs and problems of the rural areas and they are together called the Panchayati Raj.

VILLAGE PANCHAYAT

    Almost all big villages in India have a Gram Sabha, a Gram Panchayat and a Nyaya Panchayat.
(a)    The Gram Sabha

1. All adult men and women in a village are the members of the Gram Sabha.
2. The Gram Sabha may be called the general body of the villagers whose membership comprises all the adult members of the village.
3. The membership can be anywhere between-100 and 1000.
4. The Panch and the Gram panchayat are answerable to the Gram sabha.

(b)    The Gram Panchayat:

1. The members of the Gram Sabha elect a small committee of members from among themselves to constitute the Village Panchayat.
2. The number of these members may differ from state to state.
3. The Village Panchayat is a responsible body which looks after t
4. he various problems of the villagers and takes steps to improve the condition of the village.
5. It is necessary that the Village Panchayat should have a member belonging to the scheduled caste and a woman member as well.
6. If these are not elected, the Government itself appoints two such members.

(c)    The functions

1. Their responsibilities cover preparing plans for economic development and social justice,
2. implementing these plans, and control over certain matters such as land improvement, minor irrigation, animal husbandry,
3. fishery, women and child development, education etc.
4. The powers of local bodies are to be delegated by the State Legislature.

(d)    The Nyaya Panchayat:

1. Generally, there is one Nyaya Panchyat for three or four villages.
2. Each Village Panchayat elects some members to the Nyaya Panchayat.
3. No person can be a member of both the Panchayat Samiti and the Nyaya Panchayat at the same time.
4. The Nyaya Panchayats can hear only such petty cases as trespass,
5. minor thefts and other cases of simple nature, whether civil or criminal.
6. They can impose fines up to one hundred rupees.
7. If a party is not satisfied with its judgement it can go in appeal to the High Court.
8. The Nyaya Panchayat cannot send a person to prison.

(e)    The Office Bearers
(i)    Village Pradhan or Sarpanch:

1. The members of the Village Panchayat elect one of their members as Sarpanch or the
2. Pradhan who is the Head-Panch or the President of the Panchayat.
3. It is his duty to call the meetings of the Panchayat and to preside over these meetings.

(ii)    The Panchayat Secretary:

1. The Panchayat Secretary is appointed by the District Magistrate or Deputy Commissioner.
2. He is a salaried officer who maintains the records and the registers of the work done by the Panchayat.
3. He also prepares accounts, etc.
4. He is a permanent employee. Generally, he looks after the work of two or three Panchayats.

(f)    Sources of Income:
    For all its functions, the Panchayat needs money. The various sources of its income are the following:

1. Taxes on houses and shops.
2. Taxes on fairs and markets.
3. Fees realised from registration of sale and purchase of Cattle.
4. Income from the sale of public property.
5. Government grants.

(g)    Importance of The Village Panchayats:

1. The village Panchayats help the villagers in solving their own problems.
2. They teach them how to elect their representative who would serve them better.
3. The Panchayats teach the villagers self-help and not to be over-dependent on the government.
4. The Panchayats reduce the burden of the government.
5. The Panchayats know the needs of their respective villages
6. better and prepare schemes which are most beneficial to them.
7. The Village Panchayats form the basis of Panchayati Raj in our country.

THE BLOCK SAMITIS

 

1. The Block Samitis in some areas are also called the Khand Samitis,
2. while in others they are also called the Prakhand Samitis.
3. The Block Samiti is an important link between the Village
4. Panchayat on the one side and Zila Parishad on the other.

(a)    Composition and Election:

1. The members of the Block Samities are not elected directly.
2. The Pradhans and the Panchs of the Village Panchayats within
3. the Block Samitis choose their representatives of the Block Samitis.
4. The members of the Block Samiti elect a Block Chairman or the Block Pramukh and a Vice-Chairman.
5. The term of a Block Samiti is five years.

(b)    Decisions Making and Functions:

• One of the main functions of the Block Samiti is to obtain money from the Government for various programmes to develop the Block.

(c)    Sources of Income:

• Broadly, the income of the Block Samitis comes from two sources. 

    (i)    Taxes,         
    (ii)    Government assistance.

ZILA PARISHAD

    The Zila Parishad or the District Council is the highest institution of the Panchayati Raj in India.
    Just as all the Block Samitis coordinate the development activities of all the Panchayats in their areas,

similarly, the Zila Parishads coordinate the activities of the Block Samitis in the district.
(a)    Composition and Election:

1. The composition of the Zila Parishad is somewhat similar to the composition of a Block Samiti
2. , though on a bigger scale. It is composed of the following members:
3. The Chairman of the Block Samitis in the district.
4. Members of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha representing the district.
5. Members of the Vidhan Sabha and Vidhan Parishad from the district.
6. Representatives of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
7. Representatives of women.
8. The Zila Parishad elects its Chairman and a Vice-Chairman. The Chairman presides over the meetings.

(b)    Decision-Making and Functions:

1. The Zila Parishad is the apex organisation of the three-tier system of panchayati Raj.
2. Its main function is to help the village Panchayats and the Block Samitis and to coordinate their work.
3. Implementation of Five Year Plans and other plans for rural development are the responsibility of the Zila Parishad.

(c)    Sources of Income:
        Its main sources of income are the following :

1. Financial grants from the Government. 
2. Rent from the property owned by the Zila Parishad. 
3. Taxes levied on properties and fairs, etc.

(d)    Significance of Panchayati Raj

1. The Panchayati Raj has many achievements to its credit:
2. The Panchayati Raj system has brought about political awakening in rural India.
3. The Panchayati Raj has brought the government close to the people.
4. The Panchayats have succeeded in improving the condition of their respective villages by taking up welfare activities.
5. Primary and adult schools run by the Panchayats have spread literacy and education among the rural people.
6. The Panchayats have succeeded in drawing the attention of the government officials to their problems.

LOCAL GOVERNMENT IN URBAN INDIA

• l    There are two types of local government in urban areas: 

    (i) Municipalities, and 
    (ii) Municipal Corporations.
    Municipal Corporation :

1. They are meant for big cities having a population as big as that of a district.
2. As they serve a larger population, they have more powers.
3. They have larger resources as they serve more people.
4. The Municipal Corporation deals directly with the State Governments.
5. Municipal Corporations are less in number, they are in 50 big cities of India.

(a)    Elections:

1. A corporation is an elected body. The number of elected members depend upon the population of the city.
2. The members are elected by the residents of the city whose age is not less than 18 years and who are registered as voters for the purpose.
3. A person who wants to contest an election for membership must not be less than 25 years of age.
4. For the purpose of elections, the city is divided into several wards. Each ward has to elect one member.
5. There are special wards for Harijans.
6. All those members who are elected directly by the residents of the city are the elected representatives of the people.
7. They are called Councillors.
8. These Councillors elect some other members who are respected citizens and are known for their experience and eminence.
9. These members are known as Eldermen.

(b)    Structure:

1. All the members of the Corporation elect a Mayor and a Deputy Mayor.
2. The Mayor presides over the meetings and looks after
3. the work of the Corporation with the help of executive officers like the Municipal Commissioner,
4. the Chief Engineer, and the Chief Medical Officer.
5. The Mayor and the Deputy Mayor are elected for one year.

(c)    Permanent Officials :

• l    There are several paid officers who help in running the administration of the Urban Local Bodies like the Corporations and Municipalities.
• The chief among them are the Executive Officer, the Secretary, the Health Officer, the Sanitary Inspectors,
• the Municipal Engineers, Overseers, Octroi Inspectors, Education Officers, etc.

MUNICIPALITY

1. The cities with a population of more than twenty thousand are managed by Municipalities or Municipal Committees.
2. Municipality is the local organisation in towns and cities that provides services for the people.
3. The members of Municipal Committee, who generally number between 15 to 60, are also elected in the same way as the members of a Corporation.
4. These members elect a Chairman and a Deputy Chairman.
5. Their duties are the same as of the Mayor and the Deputy Mayor.

    Work of the Municipalities and Corporations:
    1.    Public Health
    2.    Public Conveniences
    3.    Public Security 
    Source of Income :

1. To discharge all these functions properly,
2. the local bodies need money which they get from the following sources:
3. Octroi duty on goods brought into the city or taken out of the city.
4. Taxes on property, i.e., houses, shops and lands. 
5. Taxes on vehicles.
6. Income from water and electricity supplied to houses and factories.
7. Income from municipal properties. 
8. Financial grants from the State Governments. 
9. Loans from the State Government whenever a municipality undertakes a special project which involves big expenditure.