Lecture 24 - 22nd July, 2021
Lecture 24 - 22nd July, 2021
The concept of Local Self Government in India, What does History tell?
Post Independence Developments.
First thing, the Constitution came into existence. So far as local self governance, the
then leaders hardly wanted to change the then existing structure put in place by the
Britishers. When the constitution came into effect in 1950, Directive Principles of State
Policy Part 4, Article 40 has a provision of panchayat. It says that every village will take
steps to form a panchayat as an institution of local self governance. Powers and
authority would be given to them to the extent that is necessary for them to perform
their activities. Keeping this in view, there was a concept of the gram swaraj which was
popularized by Gandhi, it led to the implementation of this part of the constitution,
The debate was how this part would be implemented. The general view was that if we
further empower the local self government, they would become like the
state government and so leaders were not interested to do it. As a solution, in 1952,
the community development programmes was launched with the aim of having a
socio-economic transformation of the village life and creating a democratic system in
the rural areas.
"Under the community development programme, the communities formed from the
villages used to have assistance from the government in terms of technical know-how
supply of essential items and credit. In 1953 a National Extension Scheme was
introduced so as to promote the implementation of scientific knowledge and technical
know-how in areas such as agriculture dairy development, etc."
Panchayati raj should emerge as an active institution for local self governance,
an active rural local self government institution. This means that they should be
empowered more in terms of resources and authorities.
Every district would be the first point of decentralization below the State.
Then Mandal Panchayats would exist. Basically a three tier system was
recommended. District level, Mundal level and then the village level.
Panchayat Samiti would continue but only as a arm of the Zila Parishad to
support the Zila Parishad and the Panchayat.
A village level committee which would consist of members from various bodies
and SC/ST. Village bodies are basically the village bodies.
Panchayati Raj institution should be empowered by Constitutional
Amendments. This was very important. When you see the 7th Schedule, the
Union and State and Concurrent list. There is no list of local bodies.
Decentralization after independence was only said to be between
"Article 243G - Subject to the provisions of this constitution, the legislature of a state
may, by law, endow the panchayats with such powers and authority as may be
necessary to enable them to function as institutions of self government and such law
may contain provisions for the devolution of powers and responsibilities upon
panchayats at the appropriate level, subject to such conditions as may be specified there
in, with respect to:
a. The preparation for plans for economic development and social justice.
b. The implementation of schemes for economic development and social justice as may
be entrusted to them including those in relation to the matters in the eleventh schedule
(11th schedule recommends the transfer of 29 subjects to the panchayats)
Article 243H - Power to impose taxes by, and funds of, the panchayats. The legislature
of a state may, by law,
a. Authorize a panchayat to levy, collect and appropriate such taxes, duties, tolls and
fees in accordance with such procedure and subject to such limits
b. Assign to a panchayat such taxes, duties, tolls and fees levied and collected by the
state government for such purposes and subject to such conditions and limits.
c. Provide for making such grants in aid to the panchayats from the consolidated
funds of the state.
d. Provide for constitution of such funds for crediting all moneys received,
respectively, by or on behalf of the panchayats and also for the withdarwal of such
moneys therefrom, as may be specified in the law.
1. The Governor of a state shall, as soon as maybe within one year from the
commencement of the Constitution (73rd Amendment Act 1992) and thereafter
the expiration of every 5th year, constitute a finance commission to review the
financial position of the panchayats and tot make recommendations to the
Governor as to
2. The legislature of the state, may, by law, provide for the composition of the
Commission, the qualification which shall be requisite for the appointment of
members thereof, and the manner in which they shall be selected. The
commission shall determine their procedure and shall have such powers in the
performance of their functions as the legislature of the state may, by law, confer
on them.