LOCAL SELF-GOVERNMENT

VILLAGE PANCHAYATS

From the early times, the villages formed self-sufficient units and were administered by the gram panchayats. During the British period, these gram panchayats lost their status due to concentration of powers in the hands of the central and provincial governments. In the early 19th century, efforts were made towards granting a restricted measure of self-government in order to keep away the popular discontent. Accordingly, an act was passed in 1915 under which a few village panchayats were formed in the district, the supervision having been entrusted to the district councils then in existence.

Later on, the Village Panchayats Act of 1946 envisaged the establishment of village panchayats in villages, the population of which was above 1,000, above 500 and above 150 in three stages. Under this Act, membership of between 5 and 15 was envisaged on the basis of adult franchise. After the reorganisation of States, the Bombay Village Panchayats Act, 1958, was made applicable to the district.

Under this Act, which was put into force in the district from June 1, 1959, women were represented in the panchayats for the first time. The membership of revenue patils who were ex-officio members of the panchayats was abrogated. The division of the duties of village panchayats as obligatory and optional was annulled and the panchayats were made responsible for the allround development of villages.

The special features of the new Act are: —

(a) reservation of two seats for women in every village panchayat,

(b) constitution of gram sabhas of all adult residents of the village,

(c) establishment of district village panchayat mandal for every district (now defunct since the formation of the Zilla Parishad },

(d) appointment of the secretary of a village panchayat as a full-fledged government servant,

(e) training of the village panchayat secretary,

(f) payment to village panchayats of grant-in-aid of not less than 25 per cent of the land) revenue collected in villages, and

(g) constitution of group nyaya panchayats for five or more villages with fairly wide judicial powers, both civil and criminal.

A district village panchayat officer was appointed to control the administration of village panchayats in the district. He assists the Collector in his functions and duties in respect of administration of village panchayats with the aid of district auditor, five sub-auditors and other necessary staff. Besides, two Social Welfare Inspectors were allotted to the district to work in the capacity of supervisory staff.

With the formation of the Zilla Parishad the district panchayat mandals were abolished and the village panchayat officer now works with the Zilla Parishad. The control of village panchayats now vests in the Zilla Parishad and is exercised through the Panchayat Samitis.

The number of independent village panchayats, group gram panchayats and villages covered in each tahsil in 1964 is shown below: —

Note.—Column (5) perhaps includes hamlets. The total of columns (3) and (5) does not therefore, tally with the figures in column (2).

On the financial side, the village panchayats receive grants from the Government up to 30 per cent of the land revenue collected in the village or one rupee per head of population whichever is more. The village panchayats also get the entire local fund cess collected in the village. At present it is collected at the rate of 20 paise per rupee of land revenue. The village panchayats can raise it with Government approval up to 100 paise per rupee of the land revenue.

During the period 1961-62 the total income of the 954 village panchayats was put at Rs. 17,55,000. The amount of grant was the main component and the same stood at Rs. 9,48,000, i.e., 54.02 per cent. On the side of expenditure, the major (i.e., 68.33 per cent) head of expenditure represented items which included improvement of village roads, construction of new drinking water wells, construction of panchayat office, schools, etc. The percentage increase in the income and expenditure of village panchayats in 1965-66 over that in 1962-63 worked out to 304.03 and 309.93, respectively. The break-up of the income of village panchayats from all sources during 1964-65 revealed that 19.63 per cent of the income was derived from taxes and fees, 4.57 per cent from contributions, fees and donations and 63.62 per cent from the grant-in-aid. The analysis of expenditure, on the other hand, showed that 75.08 per cent of the expenditure was incurred on sanitation and public works while the remaining expenditure was incurred on welfare and social activities.

TOP