Chairman PGC on PRIS - UP Academy

Panchayati Raj Institutions :potential and challengeMeenakshi Datta Ghosh<strong>Chairman</strong>Public Grievances CommissionNational Capital Territory of Delhi

Local governments arespecific institutions / entitiescreated …

y national constitutions (India, Japan,Brazil, France, Sweden, Italy, Denmark) by legislation of a higher level of centralgovernment (the UK, New Zealand) by provincial / state legislation (Pakistan,Canada) by executive order of the centralgovernment (China)

The strengths / infirmities of localgovernments;Their dialogue with higher levels ofgovernment, I believe,Lies in the modality adopted ab initio, increating them

India

BR Ambedkar defined the villagecommunity as ….“a sink of localism, a den ofignorance,narrow-mindedness andcommunalism”

Not surprising then, that `Panchayats’ did notfind a place in the First Draft of India’sConstitution.At the insistence of Gandhiji, a compromise wasagreed upon. The non-justiciable DirectivePrinciples of State Policy included the following :“the state shall take steps to organise VillagePanchayats and endow them with suchpowers and authority as may be necessary toenable them to function as units of selfgovernment”.

It became clear that local self governmentcan be politically expedient, administrativelyconvenient, democratic and participatory. However none of the primary instrumentshad acquired the status and dignity ofviable and responsive people’s bodies The 73 rd and 74 th ConstitutionalAmendments provided the formal, legalinstitutional reform

Main features of the 73 rdCAA 1992

ecognition of the Grama Sabha as a general bodyof electors at village level three tier PRIs for all States with a populationexceeding 2 million, and two tier PRIs for Stateswith population less than 2 million conduct of regular elections at 5 year intervals reservation of seats for SCs and STs in proportionto their popn, in the jurisdiction

eservation of on- third seats for women, includingin Offices of Panchayat Chairpersons of all tiers constitution of State Finance Commissions forexamining local body financial requirements, andrecommending to SGs, the rational devolution offinances to local bodies establishment of State Election Commissions forconduct of local body elections setting up a District Planning Committee (DPC) toconsolidate plans of panchayats & municipalitiesinto the Draft Development Plan of the district (74 thCAA)

The CAAs of 1992 for the first time : assured permanence for local governments created fully representative local governmentstructures at three levels for rural areas andthree types for urban areas set up a combined representative expert body forintegrated district planning

Local government In India, in terms of the size of the electorate, the number of grass-roots institutions(a quarter million ), the number of persons elected (3.4 m. inPanchayats and NagarPalikas), and the empowerment of women at the grassrootsis the greatest experiment in democracy everundertaken anywhere in the world, or at anytime in HISTORY

Representation of Women inLocal Government

The 73 rd Constitutional Amendment notonly expanded and extendeddemocracy, but also engendereddemocracyAs a matter of national policy, in 1992,women were mandated to occupy 33percent every level of localgovernment, inclusive of leadershippositions

Today 1.08 m. women stand elected toinstitutions of local governance in ruralIndia, which translates into 36.88 % , asagainst a reservation of one - thirdBihar, MP, Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand, HP andRajasthan have announced a 50 % reservationfor women in their States.SIKKIM will have a 40 % reservation forwomen.

The Global Gender Gap Report 2007 on 128countries ranks India as :114 : on economic participation andopportunity for women116 : on educational attainment forwomen126 : on health and survival for womenBUT as21/128 : on political empowerment ofwomen, ahead of Australia, Canadaand the United States

The reservation for women is an enablingmeasure. The ground reality is that this is hedgedby several formal, institutional constraints on theireffective participation. These include : the rotation of seats no requirement for a quorum for women inGrama Sabha meeetings no confidence motions two child norm

Despite institutional and social constraints, theparticipation of EWRs has promoteddevelopmental and empowerment outcomes.Small gains are visible. Homes with EWRs gain enhanced socialrespect. Rigid patriarchal attitudes are getting slowlyeroded Women are more conscious of their rights;moreconfident of their ability to withstand bullying; andto perform more effectively than the EMRs.

In lieu of focusing on contracts for more brick andmortar construction, typically EWRs focus on : bringing piped water into the village bringing a middle school / high school into thevillage so that the girl child is able to completea school education promote the smokeless chullah, creches,community halls, playgrounds, seek counselingfor alcoholic husbands sponsor the auction of village ponds,community forests and village markets for thelarger welfare of the community, leading to adramatic increase in revenues.

ICT Enabled Panchayati RajPanchayats in the 21 st Century

Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi was instrumental inaccelerating the pace of IT use at district levels.By 1990, the National Informatics Centre (NIC)implemented NICNET, connecting districtcomputers to state / central level computers,through a satellite communication network15 standardised software applications (districtwise),were developed centrally. Thereafter,districts were to create databases in theseapplications, from which data could be retrievedfor central planning

The administrative culture responded poorly.The initial impact of this computerisation wasmodest.Slowly, the GIS and spatial mapping ofagri-climactic zones began making planningmore need - based. Technology began to beviewed as one enabler in the overall process ofreform.In 2005, GOI launched the NeGP (@ Rs. 300 bnover 5-6 years)

The National e-Governance Plan (NeGP) is coordinatinga country-wide effort to bring G to Cservices to the doorsteps of those with thehighest unmet needs.Within the NeGP, the Mission mode project on ePanchayat (at an outlay of Rs. 35 bn), will bringservices for PRIs including accounting software,and computer - ised BPL lists. This will bring inaccountability and transparency in theFunctioning of PRIs. These back end services willcreate a state wide data base on service delivery.

The rural linkage front end services are the100,000 Common Services Centres envisagedacross rural India, being set up with privateentrepreneurship and aiming to create accesspoints for one out of six villages for the delivery ofe services. Some 36,000 CSCs are already in position ason 31 st March 2009. Government will build the networking structurewhich the CSCs will connect to locally.

Additionally, the NeGP includes a Mission modeproject on eDistricts, which envisages providingseamless services to citizens. An eDistrict is onewhere 75 % of services from the Collectorate areICT enabledFront end services will include facilitationcounters at district, tehsil, sub-division, and blocklevelsGovernment is attempting to harness the fullpotential of the ICTs for development

Gujerat has been implementing e Gram through aSPV in a PPP model . E Gram services areprovided at a fee, which is shared by the VillageComputer Entrepreneurs and the VillagePanchayatGujerat is integrating the CSC with its own eGram Scheme (3000 + 3000) to cover its ruralpopulation of 31 m.One CSC will cover three villages. Training andaccounting manuals are ready

Other States like Tamilnadu, Karnataka,Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra haveprogressed significantly in applying ICTtechnologies in different ways, at PRI levels

The Gordian KnotsConcluding Comments

The PRIs originally promoted in the 1950scontinued to be vibrant bodies for close to twentyYears, but commenced declining after the1970s,because they encountered hostility and insecurity fromentrenched vested interests (state levelMLAs, MPs and Ministers) about Panchayatsas alternate power centres at that time, Panchayats had noconstitutional sanction

New lease of life for PRIs with the stand alone1983 Panchayat Raj Act of Karnataka whichtransferred significant powers from the state levelto district and sub-district levels. Some of this generositywas subsequently rescinded (under different politicaldispensations), nevertheless this remained a landmark.The CAA 1992 was an initiative from the federalgovernment without any loss in power andauthority to itself, but required the federating units (stategovernments) to pass on substantial powers to localgovernments. The central government was drawing fromthe 1983 Panchayati Raj Karnataka Act

First Gordian Knot

Very few state governments have genuinelydevolved and decentralised functions,finances, and functionaries to the three /two tiers of PRIs

Second Gordian Knot

Central government on its part, continues to create(and not wind up) parallel bodies to handle CSSs.It therefore bypasses both the state governmentsand the PRIs (especially in programmes involvingbilateral and multi-lateral aid).The logic is that when PRIs and state governmentslack both the competence and capacity, the centralgovernment may find it essential to implementnational objectives laid down in the Five YearPlans, through alternate arrangementswherever necessary.

On their part, state governments may not bealways giving adequate attention to criticalpriorities like education, health, managementof forests etc.

Gram Sabhas have become ineffective inexercising vigilance over the functioning ofPanchayatsParallel bodies ( JFMs and WUGs) workindependently of the Panchayats even thoughthe Eleventh Schedule specifies minor irrigation,water management, minor forest produce aswithin the purview of Panchayats. These bodiesbegin to usurp the functions of the subject matterStanding Committees in the Panchayat.

The JFMs often have more financial resourcesthan the Village Panchayats who then fail toexercise any control over the minor forestproduce.Technical / Expert Committees created tosupplement the capabilities of Panchayats areconstantly undermining the Gram Sabhas andPanchayats.

Third Gordian Knot

The basic problem encountered by Panchayatsin the delivery of rural developmentprogrammes, is that they continue to performan agency role.The CSS becomes the vehicle to empowerlocal bodies, and this is not prudentThis has stymied the emergence ofPanchayats as institutions capable ofperforming a more autonomousdevelopmental role

This is leading to the “Tragedy of Commons”.The PRIs will remain inert and stifled if they arenot involved in the planning and implementationof socio-economic development.The local bodies continue to function essentiallywith transferred funds from a common pool, andnot with funds raised locallyPRIs need assignment of revenue raisingpowers towards meeting their total expenditureresponsibilities. Chicken and egg situation

Public action campaigns such as ArunaRoy’s“Hamaara Paisa Hamaara Hisaab” drawattention to, and sustain interest &participation in the potential role andresponsibilities ofGram Panchayats and Gram Sabhas

Modul: LogistikaPředmět: Logistika ve sluţbách výzkumu a vývojese touto činností je výsledkem jejich sluţeb převáţně technická inovace (inovacevýrobku a technologie).Typologie služeb podle úlohy subjektů v inovačním procesu a zdroje stimulace Obrázek 6.1inovační aktivity 3tvorbainovačníchřešenínabídkovéstimulyvědecko –výzkumněorientovanésluţbysluţbyzaměřenéna tvorbuřešeníproblémupoptávkovéstimulyplošněposkytovanésluţbytrţněorientovanésluţbyvyuţitíinovačníchřešeníPlošně poskytované služby se vyznačují vysokým stupněm standardizace,který umoţňuje realizovat výnosy z rozsahu poskytování. Do uvedené skupiny sluţebspadají sluţby velkoobchodu a maloobchodu, opravy motorových vozidel a výrobkůpro domácnost.Tržně orientované služby se vyznačují zaváděním dílčích inovacív návaznosti na poţadavky trhu. Pro tento druh sluţeb je charakteristické vyuţíváníjiţ existujících inovací a jejich aplikace na konkrétní potřeby zákazníků. Do tétoskupiny můţeme zařadit sluţby v oblasti ubytování a stravování, dopravní,skladovací, poštovní a telekomunikační sluţby. Dopravu a skladování chápeme jakosoučást logistického řetězce a také jako logistickou sluţbu.Podle analýzy provedené Pazourem (2008) se v sektoru sluţeb inovuje méněneţ ve zpracovatelském průmyslu. Vysvětlení vidí autor v niţší inovační kultuřepodniků poskytujících sluţby (např. v oblasti stravovacích a ubytovacích sluţeb)3 Zdroj: [8], s. 11-15.- 44 -