Tuesday, February 25, 2025

Panchayat Raj System - Articles and Committees

Panchayat Raj System - Articles and Committees

Articles Related to Panchayat Raj Institutions

The following articles in the Indian Constitution deal with Panchayat Raj institutions:

Article 243 (Definitions)

Article Definition
243 (a) District: An area notified by the Governor.
243 (b) Gram Sabha: Registered voters within the territory of a Gram Panchayat.
243 (c) Mandal Parishad: The intermediate level between Gram Panchayat and Zila Parishad, as notified by the Governor.
243 (d) Panchayat: An institution of self-government (as defined later) constituted by the Governor by notification.
243 (e) Panchayat Area: The territorial area of a Panchayat.
243 (f) Population: The population as ascertained at the last preceding census of which the relevant figures have been published.
243 (g) Village: Village as notifed by governor.

Article 243A (Gram Sabha)

This article reiterates the definition of Gram Sabha as the registered voters within a Gram Panchayat's territory.

Article 243B (Constitution of Panchayats)

PointDescription
Three-Tier SystemPanchayat Raj institutions should be established in three tiers:
  • Gram Panchayat at the village level.
  • Mandal Parishad at the intermediate level.
  • Zila Parishad at the district level.
Exception States with a population below 20 lakhs are not required to establish Mandal Parishads.

Article 243C (Composition of Panchayats)

PointDescription
Structure: A Gram Panchayat is divided into wards. A Mandal Parishad is divided into Wards. A Zilla Parishad is divided into Wards.
Election of Ward members: Ward members of Gram Panchayat. Ward members of Mandal Parishad.
Election of Ward members:Ward members of Gram Panchayat, Mandal Parishad, and Zila Parishad are directly elected by the people.
Election of Sarpanch, Mandal Parishad, and Zilla Parishad chairpersons: The election of the Sarpanch (Gram Panchayat chairperson) can be either direct or indirect, as determined by the state legislature.
The election of the Mandal Parishad and Zila Parishad chairpersons is indirect.
Participation in meetings The state legislature decides who can participate in the meetings of Gram Panchayat, Mandal Parishad, and Zila Parishad.

Committees on Panchayat Raj

Ashok Mehta Committee (1977)

Key recommendations included a two-tier system and political party participation. It recommended constitutional recognition for local government, a point later echoed by other committees.

Dantwala Committee (1978)

Focused on block-level planning and direct elections for Sarpanch.

C.H. Hanumantha Rao Committee (1984)

Emphasized district-level planning and the role of the District Collector.

G.V.K. Rao Committee (1985)

Reiterated the district as the planning unit and proposed a District Development Officer position.

L.M. Singhvi Committee (1986)

Reinforced the need for constitutional recognition and addressed issues like Nyaya Panchayats and financial resources.

P.K. Thungon Committee (1988)

Focused on Constitutional recognition for local self-government bodies .

Constitutional Amendments (73rd and 74th)

Introduced by Rajiv Gandhi, these amendments aimed to provide constitutional status to Panchayats (73rd) and Municipalities (74th). They were initially introduced as the 64th and 65th bills but were unsuccessful. Later, under V.P. Singh, a combined 70th bill also failed. Finally, under P.V. Narasimha Rao, the 73rd and 74th Amendments were passed by Parliament in 1992 and came into effect in 1993.

No comments:

Post a Comment