LOCAL SELF GOVERNMENT {introduction}
Local government in India:
Local government in India refers to governmental jurisdiction below the level of state. India is a federal republic with three spheres of government: central, state and local. The 73rd and 74th constitutional amendments give recognition and protection of Local Government and in addition each state has its own local government legislation.
As per 2017, there are total of 267,428 Local Government bodies, of which 262,771 are rural and 4657 urban. Of the rural local governments, 632 are zila parishad at district level, 6,672 are panchayat samiti at the block level and 255,466 are gram panchayats at the village level. Following the 2013 local elections, 37.1% of councillors were women, and 16.3% of total government expenditure. It is generally the government of the village and district level and is the government closest to the common people that involves in day to day life and attempt to resolve problems of ordinary citizens.
History {Evolution} Of Local Government
Local self government has a strong origin. In Rig veda of Vedic ara, we have heard the words "sabha and samiti". Generally, at that time, Panchayats are known by the name 'Panchayatan' which include five members along with a spiritual man. And also in Epic era i.e. the era of Mahabharata and Ramayana where the administration are divided into PUR and JANPADS as city and village, the traces of panchayats are found.
All these are comming along the time with the history of India. In Britishers time also, there exist Village Sabhas and Panchayats. In 1882, LORD RIPPON , the then Viceroy of India, took the initiative to form elected Local Government Body. That is the reason that he is known as 'the father of Panchayati Raj System in India' . Following the Government of India Act 1919, village panchayats were established in many provinces and the trend continued after the Government of India Act 1935.
Later the conceptualization of the system of Local Self-Government in India took place through the formation and efforts of fours important Committees from the year 1957 to 1986. Namely :
1🔸 Balwant Rai Mehta Committee (1957)
2🔸Ashok Mehta Committee (1977-78)
3🔸GVK Rao Committee (1985)
4🔸LM Singhvi Committee (1986)
Let's discuss all the committees in detail.....
❇️ BALWANT RAI MEHTA COMMITTEE (1957)
Originally appointed by the government of India to examine the working of two of its earlier programs, the Committee submitted its report in Nov. 1957, in which the term 'Democratic Decentralisation' first appears. The important recommendations were :--
✳️ Establishment of a three-tier Panchayati Raj System ~~ Gram Panchayat at village level (direct election), Panchayat samiti at the block level and Zila Parishad at district level (indirect election)
✳️ District collector to be the chairman of Zila Parishad
✳️ Transfer of resources and power to these bodies to be ensured
The National Development Council accepted the recommendations. However, it did not insist on a single, definite pattern to be followed in the establishment of these institutions. Rather, it allowed the states to devise their own patterns, while the broad fundamentals were to be the same throughout the country. The three-tier Panchayati Raj was first implemented in NAGAUR district of Rajasthan in 1959 and later implemented in Andhra Pradesh.
❇️ ASHOK MEHTA COMMITTEE (1977-78)
The Committee was constituted by the JANTA GOVERNMENT of the time to study Panchayati Raj Institutions. Out of a total of 132 recommendations made by it, the most important ones are :--
✳️Three-tier system to be replaced by a two-tier system.
✳️ Political parties should participate at all levels in the election
✳️ Compulsory powers of taxation to be given to these institutions.
✳️Zila parishad to be made responsible for planning at the State level.
✳️A minister for Panchayati Raj to be appointed by the State Council of Ministers.
✳️🔸 Constitutional recognition to be given to Panchayati Raj Institutions.
Unfortunately, the Janta government collapsed before action could be taken on these recommendations.
Apart from these, two more committees were established i.e. GVK RAO COMMITTEE and LM SINGHVI COMMITTEE . But none of these all gave fruitful results so, there arrised a need of practical sanction for the panchayat to empower and organise. As a result, the struggle started to pass a bill regarding this in Parliament.
So, for the first time, Rajiv Gandhi put his stem forward and introduced 64th amendment bill of 1989 to empower the functions of Paris. But unfortunately, it got rejected in Rajya Sabha even though it got passed from lok sabha and finally the bill bacame null and void.
Again, when PV NARASIMHA RAO GOVERNMENT came in power, they introduced 73rd amendment act of 1992 and this time it got passed from bothe houses in Dec. 1992. Along with this 74th amendment act was also passed which is related to Urban Local Self-Government. The main thing is that 73rd Amendment Act was implemented on 24th April 1993 and added two new parts ix and ix-A to the constitution. It also added two new schedules - 11 and 12 schedule. All its functions and provisions were added in ARTICLE 243 to ARTICLE 243[O] of part ix of our constitution....
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