Local Governments Political Science - Local Governments

Which of the following according to you involve decentralisation? Why are other options not sufficient for decentralisation?

1. To hold election of the Gram Panchayat.
2. Decision by the villagers themselves about what policies and programmes are useful for the village.
3. Power to call meeting of Gram Sabha.
4. A Gram Panchayat receiving the report from the Block Development Officer about the progress of a project started by the State government.

Suppose you are entrusted to evolve a local government plan of a State, what powers would you endow to the village panchayats to function as units of self-government? Mention any five powers and the justification in two lines for each of them for giving those powers.

Constitution of India visualised village panchayats as units of selfgovernment. Think over the situation described in the following statements and explain how do these situations strengthen or weaken the panchayats in becoming units of self-government.

1. Government of a State has allowed a big company to establish a huge steel plant. Many villages would be adversely affected by the steel plant. Gram Sabha of one of the affected villages passed a resolution that before establishing any big industries in the region, village people must be consulted and their grievances should be redressed.
2. The government has decided that 20% of all its expenditure would be done through the panchayats.
3. A village panchayat kept on demanding funds for a building for village school, the government officials turned down their proposal saying that funds are allocated for certain other schemes and cannot be spent otherwise.
4. The government divided a village Dungarpur into two and made a part of village Jamuna and Sohana. Now village Dungarpur has ceased to exist in government’s books.
5. A village panchayat observed that water sources of their region are depleting fast. They decided to mobilise village youth to do some voluntary work and revive the old village ponds and wells.

Read the following conversation. Write in two hundred words your opinion about the issues raised in this conversation.
Alok: Our Constitution guarantees equality between men and women. Reservations in local bodies for women ensure their equal share in power.
Neha: But it is not enough that women should be in positions of power. It is necessary that the budget of local bodies should have separate provision for women.
Jayesh: I don’t like this reservations business. A local body must take care of all people in the village and that would automatically take care of women and their interests.