Institution of Local Self Governance and its Linkages with Tourism

parties, both ruling as well as the opposition join hands inpostponing election. The State Election Commission alsosometimes succumbs to the pressure tactics of the Stategovernments. Therefore if the local govern ment has to besuccessful, fundamental reforms will have to take place. The stateElection Commissioner who is entrusted with the responsibility ofconducting Panchayats elections should be constitutionallyempowered to take action against those that attempt to politicizelocal government bodies and state governments that do notconduct elections on time.• The reference to the Eleventh Schedule in the 73rd Amendmentsays "the state governments may entrust schemes under subjects,which are listed in the eleventh schedule, to the Panchayats." Thatis, it doesn't confer any entitlement or rig hts on the Panchayatsover the subjects But rather, that the Panchayats can beappointed as medi ators of various departments of the Centre/stategovernment at the latter's sweet will, to run some scheme whichthey have devised on their behalf.• Although the Gram Sabha has become the soul of anydecentralization debate since 1995, it has not achieved thestatus and position it ought to have. Though the gram sabhahave the power to identify beneficiaries for various povertyalleviation programmes, propose an ann ual plan, discuss thebudget and audit reports and review progress, in most of thestates, their decisions are not binding as it only enjoys anadvisory role. Only few states like , Haryana, Punjab, Orissa andTa mil Nadu have given the sabha the powe r to approve thebudget. The success with regard to holding meeting of the gramsabha is mixed. West Bengal had a better record. In 1995, 63 percent of the statutory meeting was held. In Madhya Pradesh andRajasthan, field reports showed that many people did not knowabout the dates of the gram sabha meetings. Moreover, as themeetings are held at panchayat headquarters, people from dista,ltvillage find it difficult to attend them. Attendance is high wherl abeneficia ry list is to be discussed. Generally losers in the25