Local governments are in a state of disrepair

It is nearly 30 years since the 73rd and 74th constitutional amendments came into force to bring the Local government in India.

The local government system obtained constitutional status through the 73rd and 74th constitutional amendments, which mandated panchayats and municipalities.
These amendments have changed the scope and extent of India’s democracy.
From a mere 4,000 MLAs and MPs, the number of our elected representatives has exploded to nearly 3.2 million.
The scope was provided for the participation of women and the marginalised sections of society in government.

These amendments added two new parts to the Constitution; namely, the 73rd Amendment added Part IX titled “The Panchayats”, and the 74th Amendment added Part IXA titled “The Municipalities”.

It is a system of rural local self-government in India.
PRI was constitutionalised through the 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act of 1992.

The members of all the levels of the Panchayati Raj are elected directly.
The chairperson at the intermediate and district levels is elected indirectly by the elected members,
and at the village level, the chairperson is elected as determined by the state government.
The Gram Sabha 243A is a village assembly consisting of all the registered voters within the area of the panchayat.
Reservation:

The people belong to the SC and ST (Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe) categories and are reserved proportionately for their population.
Not less than one-third of the total number of seats to be reserved for women, further not less than one-third of the total number of offices for chairpersons at all levels of the panchayat to be reserved for women.
Duration of the institutions:
The Act provides for a five-year term of office for all the panchayat levels, which can also be dissolved before the completion of its term.
Disqualification:

A person shall be disqualified for being chosen as or for being a member of a panchayat if he is so disqualified,
Under any law for the time being in force for elections to the legislature of the state concerned.
The State Election Commission:
It is responsible for superintendence, direction, and control of the preparation of electoral rolls and conducting elections for the panchayat.

Every local government needs organisational capacity from staff such as engineers, office staff, and social mobilisers.
Staffing of local governments is scanty.
Lack of financial resources:

The local governments are starved of money.
While local governments have tax resources, such as property taxes, in many states, there is no emphasis given to their collection.
Parallel bodies:

Many states have created parallel bodies to take over the functions assigned to panchayats.
For example, the Haryana government created a Rural Development Agency under the chairperson of the Chief Minister to oversee the work of local bodies.
Lack of Effective Devolution:

Local government is a state subject to the Constitution, and consequently, the devolution of power and authority to panchayats and urban local governments has been left to the discretion of the states.
Most states in India are yet to provide adequate functional autonomy to the local bodies.
Corruption:

Local bodies are marred by corruption.
Due to this, local bodies are not able to function properly, which subsequently affects the development process.

The Ministry of Panchayat Raj launched it
It is a user-friendly web-based portal.
It aims to bring better transparency in decentralised planning, progress reporting, and work-based accounting.
Rajiv Gandhi Panchayat Sashaktikaran Abhiyan:
The objectives of this scheme are to enhance the capacities and effectiveness of panchayats and the Gram Sabhas; enable democratic decision-making and accountability in panchayats; and strengthen the institutional structure for knowledge creation and capacity building in panchayats.
Panchayat empowerment and accountability incentive scheme:
The chief objectives of the scheme are to discover the best performing states in the country, award them financially, and have an effective means of decentralising the panchayats in the chosen states.
Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan:
The scheme is aimed at developing the governance capabilities of Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs).

Ensuring the Principle of Subsidiarity:
According to the 2nd ARC (Administrative Reforms Commission), the principle of subsidiarity should be followed while deciding on the implementation machinery for any programme, i.e., a central authority should have a subsidiary function, performing only those tasks which cannot be performed effectively at a more immediate or local level
Ensuring Fiscal Federalism:
As functionality also depends on finances, fiscal autonomy accompanied by fiscal accountability can provide a long term solution to the problems faced by local bodies.
Effective Auditing:
Audit committees may be constituted by the legislature to exercise oversight of the integrity of financial information, adequacy of internal controls, compliance with the applicable laws and ethical conduct of all persons involved in local bodies.
Convergence of Various Government Programmes:

There is a need for convergence of various development programs of the Centre and state governments.
In this context, Mission Antyodaya is a step in the right direction.
Mission Antyodaya is a convergence and accountability framework aiming to bring optimum use and management of resources allocated by 27 Ministries/ Department of the Government of India under various programmes for the development of rural areas.
Social accountability:

Regular Grama Sabha meetings, as per the provisions in the State Panchayat Raj Act and at the request of voters under exceptional circumstances.
The meeting notice must reach the people at least seven days in advance (as per the Sumit Bose Committee).

Pic Courtesy: ipleaders

Content Source: The Hindu