National Panchayati Raj Day
In India, April 24th is celebrated as National Panchayati Raj Diwas every year. The day marks the passing of the Constitution Act (73rd Amendment), 1992, that came into existence with effect from April 24, 1993.
National Panchayati Raj Day
In India, April 24th is celebrated as National Panchayati Raj Diwas every year. The day marks the passing of the Constitution Act (73rd Amendment), 1992, that came into existence with effect from April 24, 1993.
The enactment of the 73rd amendment is applauded as a defining moment in history as it permits states to take steps to organize village panchayats and provide them with necessary powers and authority necessary to help them to function as units of self-government.
The enactment of the 73rd amendment is applauded as a defining moment in history as it permits states to take steps to organize village panchayats and provide them with necessary powers and authority necessary to help them to function as units of self-government.
Every year on this day Union Ministry of Panchayati Raj organises National Conference and awards best performing Gram Panchayats with 'The Panchayat Shashakatikaran Puraskar/Rashtriya Gaurav Gram Sabha Puraskar'.
On this National Panchayati Raj Day, let's get acquainted with the three-tier system of Panchayati Raj in India:
1. Village Panchayat
- In the structure of Panchayati Raj, the Village Panchayat is the lowest unit
- There is a Panchayat for each village or a group of villages in case the population of these villages happens to be too small
- The Panchayat primarily consist of five representatives elected by the people of the village
- The members of the gram panchayat are elected for a period of five years by the members of Gram Sabha
- Only the people who are registered as voters and do not hold any office of profit under the government are eligible for election to the Panchayat
- There is also provision for co-option of two women and one member of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, if they do not get adequate representation in the normal course
- As a body, the Panchayat is accountable to the general body of the village known as Gram Sabha, which meets at least twice a year
- Every Panchayat elects a President or Sarpanch and a Vice-President or Upsarpanch. In some states, the Sarpanch is directly elected by the Gram Sabha either through the show of hands or through secret ballot while in other states the mode of election is indirect
- The Sarpanch occupies a pivotal position in Gram Panchayat system. He supervises and coordinates the various activities of the Panchayat
- The Sarpanch is an ex-officio member of the Panchayat Samiti and participates in its decision-making as well as in the election of the Pradhan and of the members of various Standing Committees
- He acts as the executive head of the Panchayat, represents it in the Panchayat Samiti as its spokesman and coordinates its activities and those of other local institutions like cooperatives
2. Panchayat Samiti
- The second tier of the Panchayati Raj, the Panchayat Samiti is the single representative of vigorous democratic institution to take charge of all aspects of development in rural areas
- Usually a Panchayat Samiti consists of 20 to 60 villages depending on area and population. The average population under a Samiti is about 80,000, but the range is from 35,000 to 1, 00,000
- Generally, the Panchayat Samiti consists of about 20 members elected by and from the panchayats falling in the block area and two women members and one member each from the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes to be co-opted, provided that they do not get adequate representation otherwise
- The President of the Panchayat Samiti is the Pradhan, who is elected by an electoral college consisting of all members of the Panchayat Samiti and all the Panchas of the Gram Panchayat falling within the areas. The Up-pradhan is also elected
- He ensures the implementation of the decisions and resolutions of the Samiti and its Standing Committees
3. Zilla Parishad
- Zilla Parishad is the top-most tier of the Panchayati Raj System
- Generally, the Zilla Parishad consists of representatives of the Panchayat Samiti; all the members of the State Legislature and the Parliament representing a part or whole of the district; all district level officers of the Medical, Public Works, Public Health, Agriculture, Veterinary, Engineering, Education, and other development departments
- There is also a provision for special representation of women, members of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes provided they are not adequately represented in the normal course
- The Chairman of the Zilla Parishad is elected from among its members
- The Zilla Parishad, for the most part, performs co-ordinating and supervisory functions. It coordinates the activities of the Panchayat Samitis falling within its jurisdiction. In certain states, the Zilla Parishad also approves the budgets of the Panchayat Samitis.
