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Q4. Even after three decades of constitutional amendments, India is yet to decentralise power to local self-government institutions in the true sense. Discuss. Do you agree with the view that Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyaan will be able to develop the governance capabilities of the Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs)?

Approach:

• Provide a brief background related to the 73rd and 74th CAA.
• Mention the powers/functions etc. delegated to the local bodies.
• Enlist the issues associated with this delegation.
• In that context, discuss the difference expected to be made through Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyaan (RGSA).
• Conclude accordingly.

Answer:

• Decentralization was introduced in India in 1992 through the 73rd and 74th amendments when constitutional provisions were created for the devolution of powers and responsibilities to rural (Panchayati Raj Institutions) and urban (Nagarpalikas) local self- government institutions.
• It operationalized the concept of spatial planning and micro level planning to facilitate decentralized socio-economic development in India. Also, the responsibility to prepare and implement a number of development plans based on the needs of the local people was bestowed upon local institutions such as Panchayats and municipalities.

However, despite three decades of the amendments, decentralization has not taken place in true sense, because

• There is ambiguity about the functional jurisdiction of panchayats. In the absence of properly defined jurisdiction, it is dependent upon the discretion of State legislatures for being assigned the functions.
• The local bodies still function in the grip of the state bureaucracy. The village Pradhan has to approach the block office several times for technical and financial sanctions.
• There is no mention of the employees of the panchayat and their administrative autonomy.
• Even when responsibilities in the field of health and primary education have been transferred, Panchayats have no control over the staff and budget of these departments.
• The power of the dissolution of the PRIs rests in the hands of the State government and not with the electorate.
• Resource crunch has been a major stumbling block in the path of the PRIs due to meagre resources at their disposal.

In view of this, the Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (RGSA) was launched in 2018 and has been extended recently until 2026 to develop governance capabilities of PRIs across India i.e.:

• The scheme will focus towards capacitating the elected representatives of PRIs for leadership roles to develop an effective third tier of Government to enable them to deliver on localization of SDGs.
• To strengthen capabilities of the elected Representatives of Panchayats, basic orientation training will be provided to them within 6 months of their election and refresher training to be ensured within 2 years.
• A network of institutions of excellence to support capacity building and handholding for PRIs will be developed.
• E-governance and other technology driven solutions will be promoted to enable good governance in Panchayats for administrative efficiency and improved service delivery.
• The scheme focuses on enhancing the capabilities of Panchayats to raise their own sources of revenue.
• It also provides handholding support by Academic Institutions/ Institutions of excellence to GPs for Gram Panchayat Development Plan (GPDP) formulation. Also, in depth analysis, evidence- based research studies and evaluation will be carried in the fields related to PRIs.
• Activities related to awareness generation, sensitizing rural masses, disseminating government policies and schemes through electronic, print, social and conventional media will be undertaken.

This scheme extends to all States and UTs of the country, including institutions of rural local government in non-Part IX areas where Panchayats do not exist. The scheme is in sync with the spirit of the Constitution and PESA Act 1996 and will help more than 2.78 lakh rural local bodies existing in the country.