Panchayati raj of Himachal Pradesh

Panchayati Raj of Himachal Pradesh:-

Himachal   came  into  being   in  the  year   1948.    It  was  a  Chief   Commissioner’s   province.    It  enjoyed   Part  “C”  State’s  status  under  the  Constitution. It  had  no  legislative  body  of  its  own.    A  beginning  was  made  in  1949,  to  introduce  PR  in  Himachal  Pradesh.   The  state  therefore,  adopted  Punjab  Village  Panchayat  Act  of  1839.    As  a  consequence  in  the  year  1949,  in  Himachal  Pradesh,   132  panchayats  were established.   There  were only  four  districts  in  Himachal  Pradesh  in  1949.  The  number  of  Panchayats  in each  district  was:  Mahasu  (45),  Mandi  (33),  Chamba (54), Sirmour  (54).  Gram  Panchayats (GP)  in Himachal  Pradesh (HP) were established  in the year 1952  for  the  first  time  in a  regular  fashion  under  the  Himachal  Pradesh  Panchayati  Raj   Act   1952.     In   1953  some  six  hundred   GPs  and  equal  number   of  Nayaya Panchayats  (NP)  were  formed  later  on.   At  the  same time,  at  the block  level,  Block  Development  Advisory  Committees  (BDAC)  were established.   After  the  integration  of  Punjab  Hill  Areas,  the  number  of  Panchayats  rose  to  1900.    Gram  Sabha  in  Himachal  Pradesh  hardly  met  to  discuss  any  issue.It  is some times  maintained  that before  the formation  of  Himachal  Pradesh  as  a  Part  “C” State,  there  was  no regular  PR system  under  any  legislation  in  any  of  the  integrated  states.   But  it  is difficult  to believe this  assertion  as  it  is not  corroborated  by  facts.   In  the areas  now  forming  Bilaspur,  Sirmour,  Lahaul  Spiti,  Kullu,  Kangra  districts,  etc.  some  regularly  established  form  of  PR  was  in  operation  even  before  1949.  Similarly  in  Sirmaur  State,  before  independence,  the  Punjab  Panchayati  Raj  Act,  1939  was  already  in  force. In Bilaspur  State (erstwhile a princely  state) between  1947 to  1954, there were Halqa  and  Pargana  (a  block  level  unit  of  administration)  councils  each  having  Pradhan,  Up-Pradhan   and   a  Secretary.    The   Pargana   Councils   more   or  less  perfornied  those  very  functions  which  are  now  being  performed  by  the  Panchayat  Samitis  (PSs).   The  Pargana  Councils  hardly  functioned   for  about  one  year  and  thereafter  the  Punjab  Panchayat  Act,  1939 was  extended  to  Bilaspur  state  (1950). Before  independence,  Panchayats  existed  in  Lahaul  Spiti  in addition  to  those  in  the  princely  states  of  Bilaspur  and  Sirmaur.  Thus  in  most  of  the  areas  of  Himachal  Pradesh,  traditional  panchayats  were  in  operation.    In  some  of  the  areas,  the  Punjab  Village  Panchayat  Act  of  1939 had already  been  introduced  and  Panchayats  were  successfully  functioning.    This  Act,  being  the first  statute  of  rural  government  in some areas of present Himachal  Pradesh  (HP),  was  instrumental  in  laying  the  strong  foundations  of  PR  till  1952,  when  the  State  passed  its  own  PR  legislation.  With  a  view  to bringing  the  working  of  panchayats  in accordance  with  local  conditions  and  growing  aspirations  of  the  people  for  Panchayati raj of Himachal Pradeshdemocratization  at  the  village  level,  the  Himachal  Pradesh  Panchayati  Raj  Act  (Act  No.  6 of  1953)  was  passed  in  1952  by  Himachal  Pradesh  Vidhan  Sabha,  and  it came  into  operation  in  the  year  of  1954,  when  Panchayats  were established  in the State.Under  this  Act,  the principle of  election  on adult  sufferage  was accepted  and  gram  panchayats  were established  in  the  whole  of  the  Pradesh,  one  in  each  Patwari  circle.   Under  this  Act,  466 village panchayats  were  constituted   in  1954,  their  number  increased  to  497  due  to  the  reorganisation  of  panchayat  circles  in  Chamba  district  and  Chini  Tehsil  of  Mahasu  district’,  and  further  to  638  in  1962.’°   The  special  feature  of  this  Act  was  that a three-tier  PR  system  was  introduced  in  the  state.   There  were 26  Tehsil  Panchayats  and  3  Zila  Panchayats.   The  Tehsil  and  Zila  Panchayats  were  established  through  indirect  Elections.    The  Act  was  mainly  drafted   on  the  basis  of  Uttar  Pradesh  Panchayati  Raj  Act,  1948,  although  Panchayat  legislations  of  other  states  were also reviewed  and  taken  into  consideration.  The rural government system did not work effectively  during the fifties  mainly  due  to  the  apathy  of  sarpanches,  inadequacy  of  powers,  lack  of  consciousness,  poor  Literacy  rate,  caste  distinction,  domination  of  males  and  lack  of  proper  publicity  of  panchayat  programmes.”    The  situation  was  the  same  in  the  other  parts  of  the  country.   In  the case  of  Himachal  Pradesh a genuine step  towards  the  re-introduction  of  PR  in  Himachal  Pradesh  was  taken  in  1968.    Earlier  when  the  hilly  areas  of   Punjab  were handed  over  to  Himachal  in  1966, and  it had become almost certain that increase  in the area,  Population  and greater  administrative  responsibility  would  fulfil  the  long  cherished  demand  for  statehood.

In  1968  statutory  position  was  given  to  the  PR bodies  in  Himachal  Pradesh.  The  Himachal  Pradesh  Panchayati  Raj  Act,  1968,  was  introduced  w.e.f.  November  15th,  1970 and provided  for a three-tier  system of PR,  i.e.  Gram Panchayat at village  level,  Panchayat  Samiti  at  the  block  level  and  Zila  Parishad  at  the  district  level.

Main  objectives  of  the  Act were:

(a)       To  consolidate  and  amend  laws  relating  to PRIs;

(b)       To  provide  for  the constitution  of  PR bodies  in  the entire  Union Territory  of

Himachal  Pradesh;

(c)       To  provide  for  a  uniform  pattern  of  PR  institutions  in both  the old  as  well as the  newly  merged  areas  of  Punjab  in  Himachal  Pradesh;

The Himachal  Panchayati  Raj  Act,  1968 under Section  18(1) earmarked  about twenty  seven  administrative  duties.,   for   the  GPs.    These  statutory  duties  were  required  to be performed  by  GPs  subject  to the  limit  of  funds  at  their  disposal.   The  funds  made  available  to  the  GP  were  extremely  limited,  due  to  which  they  failed  to  perform  the  assigned  duties.  In  the  field  of  election,  according  to  PR  Act  1968,  all  the  members  of  GP  were elected  directly  by the  members of  Gram Sabha (GS)  from  amongst themselves. The  Pradhan  of  GP  was  also  elected  directly  and  there  also  existed  a  post  of  up-Pradhan.   The  GP was  normally  elected  for  the period  of  five years.   However,  after 1962 election  of panchayats were held  in  1972.  It was the third  election of  PR bodies in the state.   After  the election  of  1972 there  were 2038 Gram  Panchayats  and equal number   of   Nayaya   Panchayats   (NP)  were  set   up.  Nayaya  Panchayats were functioning  in the state  for  discharging  the judicial  functions  up to March  1978.  But with  the  enforcement  of  Himachal  Pradesh  Panchayati  Raj  (Amendment)  Act  1977, the  NP  stood  abolished  and  judicial  functions  were  assigned  to  Gram  Panchayat. In   1988  subsequently   the   PR  Act  was  amended   and  provision   for   payment  of  honorarium  to  the  chairman  and  Vice-Chairman  of  Panchayat  Samiti  (PS)  and  for  Pradhan  and  Up-Pradhan  of  Gram  Panchayat  was  included  in the Act. Further  this  amendment  provided  for  among  other  things,  assured  existence  and  constitution  of  GP,  PS,  and  reservation  of  seats  for  SC  and  thirty  per  cent  reservation  for  Women  Panches  at  Gram  Panchayat  level,  twenty  five  to  thirty  per  cent  reservation  of  seats  for  SCs.  Since  1952,  the  first  election  to  GPs  was  held  in  the year  1954,  second  after  eight  years  in  1962,  and  third  after  a  gap  of  ten  years  in  1972,  and  fourth  in  1978.  The  fifth  election  was  held  in  September  1985  and  before  the  73rd  Amendment  the sixth  election  for  PR  bodies  held  in  1992.  Nearly eighty  five  per cent of  people  live  in the villages of Himachal Pradesh. Here  PR  bodies  have  enjoyed  special  status  since  beginning.    Despite  occasional  deliberate  attempt  to  throttle  them,  the  PRIs  have  survived,  though  with  negligible powers.   GPs  and  PS occupy  special  status  of  prime  importance.   The  offices  of  the  Panches  and  Pradhans  are  coveted  and  people  attach  more  importance  to  Pradhans  and  Chairmen  because  governmental  agencies  and  officers  on  their  visits  to village and block or otherwise contact  Pradhans and Chairmen  of PSs whenever needed.  The  official  recognition  raises  their  social  status  and  power.  Other  factors  which  affect  the  PR  membership  are  the economic  status  of  the  individual  and  family.     It  appears  that  since  beginning  (after   independence)  the  persons  having  strong  economic  background  are  acceptable  to  political  parties  and  become  Pradhans  and  Chairmen.    Either  castes  group  leaders,  rich  individuals  or  popular  caste  groups  leaders  or  popular  social  workers  are  favoured   in  panchayat  elections.     In  most  of  the  cases  rich  people  are  preferred   as  leaders  for  PRIs.  Another  more  important  factor  is  the  political  factor.    Politics  is  the  central  factor which  provides a prestigious,  honourable  and  independent status  to PRIs  in the state. As  and  when a political  decision  has  to be  taken  it  has  to be  with  the  active  Consent  and  support  of  political  parties  either  in  the  Parliament  or  in  the  state  legislature  to decentralize   more  powers  to  PR  bodies,  remove  bureaucratic  controls,  provide  constitutional   status,   statutorily   providing   regular   holdings   of   elections,   make provisions  for  sufficient  funds  to be  made  at  the  disposal  of  these bodies.   All  these questions  are  to  be  decided  by  political  institutions.   Whatever  status  that  the  PRI’s  will  have  to  enjoy,  shall  be  subject  to  the  dictates  of  constitution  of  India  and  Acts  passed  by  the  state  legislature.    No  doubt  73rd  Amendment  in  Indian  Constitution  provided  Constitutional  status  to  PRIs,  still  the  fate  of  PRIs  depends  on  the  state  governments’  Attitude  towards  them.  The Balwant  Rai  Mehta Committee  Report  had little  impact on the Panchayati Raj  Act of Himachal  Pradesh,  as three-tier  institutions were already functioning  in the state.  Cooption  of  women and  scheduled  castes  in GPs of the state and  the provision of  indirect  election  of  primary  members  of  PSs  was  already  a  feature  of  PRIs  in  Himachal  Pradesh. The other  important committee on PRIs, constituted by Janta Government, was known  as  Ashok  Mehta  Committee.   This  committee  had  also  little  impact  on  the PRIs  in  Himachal  Pradesh  because  it  is  the  state  where  an  impression  has  been  created  that  it  is the best administered  state  in North  India.  This  impression  has been the creation  of Bureaucracy  which  enjoy  enormous powers, because the political  elite  in  comparison  to  them,  is  less  educated,  less  knowledgeable,  less  dynamic,  less articulate,  less  mobile  and  less  worldly  wise.   Intellectual  level  of  political  elite  in Himachal  Pradesh  is far  inferior  to the administrative strata.  Hence before  the 73rd amendment the condition of the PRIs was poor.  The philosophy  of Himachal Pradesh Government  till  the  year  1967-68  was,  “The  decentralisation  of  power  to  the grass root  level  should  be  minimal.    Whatever  powers  is  decentralized  and   functions transferred,  should  be  subject  to prior  approval,  consent  and  consultation  of  district  collector  as  well  as  his  subordinates.   The over  all  control  and  supervision  over  the  PRIs  shall  be  exercised  by  the  Director  of  Panchayats,  District  Panchayat  Officer  (DPO)  and  their  field  officers  and  the  Panchayat  inspectors.””  Due  to  such  attitude  the purpose  of  “government  of  the people,  to the people and  by  the  people”  was  defeated  by  making  a  group  of  bureaucrats  every  second  knocking  at  the door  of  Gram  Panchayats  or  Panchayat  Samitis  with a  warning  rod.  like a police  inspector.  Thus   Panchayati   Raj   in   Himachal   Pradesh   remained   bureaucrats’   self   government  instead  of rural  self  government till  the 73rd  Constitutional  Amendment.  The  major  causes  of  the  decline  and  impoverishment  of  PRIs  in  Himachal  Pradesh  after  the  last  sixties  were  as  follow:

  1. Non-availability of finances  required  to  perform  assigned  statutory  functions  and  duties;
  2. Large scale supersession  of  panchayats  and  panchayat  samitis  in  the state;
  3. Withholding of panchayat  elections;.
  4. Unfounded fears in the  minds  of  ministers  and  MLAs about the potential  loss

of  political  power,  prestige  and  influence  in case,  chairmen  Zila  Prishad  and  Panchayat  Samitis  get  themselves  entrenched  in  local  politics;

  1. Bureaucratic apathy against Zila Parishads (ZPs) and their functioning because of  psychological   barriers  and  unwillingness   on  the  part  of  district  level  bureaucrats  to accountable  to  Chairman  of  Zila  Parishad;
  2. Catastrophic change in  the constitutional  status  of  Himachal  Pradesh;
  3. Absence of separation  of  a  special  component  plan  for  PRIs  with  forty  per  cent  of  the  total  state expenditure;
  4. Absence of  constitutional  status  to PRIs;
  5. Absence of  a  provision  to  statutorily  require  the  district  collector  to  hold

elections  to  PRIs  within  specified  time;

  1. Absence of a  “Panchayati  Raj  Fund”  out  of  which  PRIs  of  a  state  could  get  funds  on  nominal  interest  to  spearhead  their  development  activities.

On  the  basis  of  above  points  it  can  be  concluded  that  PRIs  in  Himachal  Pradesh  before   73rd   Amendment   were   mere  agencies   of   the   Centre   and   State   Governments  to  implement  the  developmental  programmes  and  schemes  so  PRIs  did  not  enjoy  any  real  power  to govern  the rural  Himachal.  According  to the various studies,  under  the Himachal  Pradesh  Panchayati  Raj  Act  1968,  the  real  powers  were  vested  by  the  Act  in  the  District  Collector,  Sub-Divisional  Magistrate  and  the  Director  Panchayati  Raj  Department.   The  slogan  of  “democratic  Decentralization”  was  a  hoax  and  far  cry.   There  was  no  “real  power”  available  either  to  Pradhans  of  Gram  Panchayats  or  to  Chairmen  of  the  Panchayat  Samitis.  Every section  of Panchayati  Raj Act,  1968, whether  it was related  to power, duties,  functions  or Taxation power of GPs or PSs, required prior approval or sanction of  State  Government,  i.e.  Director  Panchayats  or  District  Collector.   It appears  that PRIs   in  Himachal   Pradesh   had  been  crippled  due  to  utter  ignorance  and  sheer  intellectual  bankruptcy  of  the  political  Leadership  in  the  years  when  this  statute  was passed.   Functionally,  a  two-tier  system  had been  handicapped  because  of  excessive  requirements  made by  the statute  to chain a  Gram  Panchayat  and a Panchayat  Samiti  to  the  wishes  and  directions  of  district  or  state bureaucrats. The Himachal  Pradesh  Panchayati  Raj Act,  1968, and  its implementation gave hegemonic  position  to  the  bureaucracy  from  village  to  the  district  level.   The  most  important  servant  having  to  do  with   Panchayati   Raj  at  grassroots   level  (Gram Sabha/Panchayat)  was  secretary  of  Gram  Panchayat  or  a  group  of  Panchayats  to be appointed  by  the  Director  of  Panchayats. Thus  he  was  the  state  servant  and  had  loyalty  towards  the  state  administration.  The   Gram   Panchayats   were   empowered   to   make   such   appointment   as   considered   necessary.    But  under  the  Act  these  servants  thus  appointed   may  be  suspended,   dismissed   or   punished   by   the   Gram   Panchayat   who   may   make  remuneration   to  such  servants  out  of  Gram  Sabha  funds.     But  they  will  work  according  to the rules  framed  by State Government. In the Act the Gram  Panchayats  were  empowered  to  conduct  enquiries  against  some  government  servants.   But  the  superior  position  was given  to bureaucracy.   The  HPPR  Act  1968, required  conduct  of  enquiry  by  the  GPs  against  twelve  specifically  mentioned  government  servants  to  which  government  had  extension  of  provisions  of  the  Himachal  Pradesh  Panchayati  Raj  Act,   1968  and  to  submit  a  report  with  a  prima  facie  evidence  to  concerned  superior  officer  or  to the  Deputy  Commissioner  or  S.D.O. In  the  field  of  financial  matters  the position  of  GP was  insignificant.   All  the  powers were with the bureaucracy.  Through  financial  matters state government  made direct  encroachment  in areas  of  GP under  the Act.   Prior  approval  had  to be obtained from  the  Deputy  Commissioner  for  undertaking  any  work  of  more than  five  hundred  rupees.  In  the  field  of  taxation  GP  had  to  take prior  approval  of  D.C.  -Tlius  Himachal  Pradesh  Government  up to early nineties had  made Panchayati Raj  virtually  captive  of  and  perennially  at  the  mercy  of  D.C.  and  the  SDM.   In a democratic  set-up  it  was  irony  that  democratically  elected  members  of  PR  could  be  removed  by a civil  servant.   In  the  Himachal  Pradesh  Panchayati  Raj  Act  1968 such Other   provisions  were  also  kept  by  which  bureaucracy  interfered  and  made  inroads  into  the  working  of  PRIs.   Such  sections  of  the  Act were:

  1. The Act provided  delegation   of  powers  by  the  state  government  to  the  Director  Panchayats  (except  the  powers  to  make rules).”
  2. The government retained   its  discretionary  power  to  direct  the  holding  of  election  of  the  members  of  Executive  Committees  of  all  Sabhas.
  3. The Himachal Pradesh  Panchayati  Raj  Act  1968 empowered  a  DC or  SDO to

order  in writing  to suspend  the  execution  of a  resolution  or  order  of a  GP or prohibit  the  doing  of  any  act.

Thus  in  field  of  governance  PRIs  had  no real  power.   Virtually  under the Act state  was  governed  by  the bureaucrats  from  bottom  to top. In  the  field  of  revenue,  a  Gram  Sabha  under  Section  41  of  the  Himachal  Pradesh  Panchayati  Raj  Act,  1968  had  different  sources  of  income  as  given  below:

  1. All grants from  government  and  local  authorities,
  2. the balance if any  standing  at  the credit  of  Panchayat,
  3. the balance and  proceeds  of  all  funds,  which  in  the  opinion  of  the collector, were  or  are  being  collected  for  common  secular  purposes  of  the village,
  4. ail donations,
  5. all taxes, duties,  cesses  and  fees  imposed  and  realized  under  this  Act,
  6. the sale proceeds  of  all  dust,  dung  or  refuse,
  7. income derived from common  lands vested  in the panchayat under any  law  for  the  time  being  in  forcesi!

The  Gram  Panchayats  were  authorised  to  impose  house  tax  under  the  1968  Himachal  Pradesh  Panchayati  Raj  Act.   But  the  tax  income  was  meagre  source  of  income. The  Gram  Panchayats  were  poorly  equipped  to  perform  even  petty  civic  functions.     Before  the  73rd  amendment  panchayats  had  very  limited  sources  of  income.   They  had  very  limited  powers  of  taxation  and  were more or  less dependent upon  the  centre  and  state grants.

 

Functioning  of  Panchayati  Raj  Institutions  in Himachal  Pradesh  Impact  of  Caste  and  Class  Factors  (Before  73rd  Amendment):

In  large  part  of  Himachal  Pradesh,  due  to  its  adverse  geo-physical  features,  remained  less  exposed  to  the  modern  culture.     Its  own  traditional   culture  still  dominates  the  modern  democratic  institutions.  Caste as well as class  is the dominating  factor  in the political field.   Prior  to the 73rd  Amendment  of  the Constitution  various research  studies were conducted  in the different  parts  of  the  Old  and  New Himachal.   The study  conducted  by  Sud  revealed  that  in Kangra district  Rajput  and  Brahmins  dominated  the  PRIs and in  district  Shimla  also  Rajputs  dominated  the  PRI another  case  study  of  six  sample villages  of  Dangri  Panchayat  of Solan district  revealed a closed  hierarchically  caste-ridden structure based upon ascription rather than achievement,  and an economic structure  based  upon  subsistent  stagnant  agriculture  having  low  inputs  and  limited  output. The  study  concluded  that  “leadership  was  confined  to  upper  castes  and  within  these  castes  to  affluent  individuals. Thus  prior  to  73rd  amendment  the  caste  played  its  traditional  role  in  the  functioning   of  panchayats  and  the  scheduled  castes  still  remained  disadvantaged  groups. Not  only  the  electoral  behaviour  of  the  rural  people  was  dominated  by  the  traditional  institutions,  but  the  functioning  of  PRIs  also  had  its  own  distinguished  features.    It  was  substantiated   in  the  study  of  Sud  in  respect  of  Kangra  district.  Generally  most  influential  persons  manned  traditional  panchayats.  They  either  belonged  to such  caste as has  majority  in  the village or  they  are the persons  who are economically  Sound.   Even the elected  Pradhans act upon the advice of  the traditional panchayat.”    Apart  from  the  hold  of  traditional  panchayats  in  the  Panchayati  Raj  institutions,  the  village  politics  too  is  caste-ridden  but  these  loyalties  remain  like a hidden  current.   Apparently  people  refrain  from  publicizing  caste alliances  but caste factor  dominates  the  electoral  behaviour  as  well  as  the  outcomes  of  the  DECISION MAKING process of the Panchayati  Raj  institutions. Yet another case study conducted by  Sharma  brought  out  that,   “Caste  plays  an  important  role   in  the  panchayat  elections;   politicians   and  political   parties  are   mobilizing   caste  groups   and  are  identifying  themselves  with  them  in  order  to  organize  their  power  in  these  caste  factions   which  are   in  the  process  of  transformation. Thus  the  caste  was  a  dominating  factor   in  Himachal  Pradesh  and  political  parties  also  attached  greater  importance   to   the   caste   politics   in   Himachal   Pradesh.     Upper   castes   played   dominating  role  in the  PRIs.   One study  strengthens  the view  that  seven  out  of  eight members  of  Juni  Panchayat  (Tehsil  Sunni)  belonged  to  upper  caste  Rajputs  and  Brahmins  sharing three positions each.   High caste dominance was too obvious as the office  of  Pradhan  had  never been occupied  by a lower caste  member.   The scheduled castes  suffer  from  a  disadvantage  as  more  cases  before  Panchayat  as  a  court,  were  brought against  them  by the higher castes.   Higher  castes were  involved  in litigations more  than  the  lower  castes.    However,  none  of  the  scheduled  castes  respondents  complained  of  caste  bias  in  the  working  of  Panchayat.

Himachal Pradesh Panchayati Raj Act, 1994 :-

With a view  to bringing  the law relating to the PRIs  in conformity  with the provisions

of  Constitutional  Seventy  Third  Amendment,  the  Himachal  Pradesh  Panchayati  Raj

Act,  1994 was enacted  on 23 January  1994 and came into force  w.e.f. 23 April  1994.

Its  salient  features  are  as  under:

Gram  Sabha:  The  Gram  Sabha  is  the  first  modern  political  institution  which  seeks  to place direct power  in the hands of  the people.  The legislative Empowerment  of the Gram  Sabha  in  India  is  a  political  development  of  utmost  importance,  because  it  marks  the clearest  break  from  the  most  dominant political  orthodoxy  in this century. Under  Section  3  of  the  Himachal  Pradesh  Panchayati  Raj  Act  1994,  a  Gram  Sabha  is constituted  for a village  or a group  of  contiguous  villages  with a population  of  less  than one thousand  and  not exceeding five  thousand.  The government can relax these limits  in  particular  case.   The  Gram  Sabha  once  established,  can  be  reorganised  by  the  government  by  including  or  excluding  any  area  from  its  jurisdiction.    Every person  who has attained  the age of eighteen years within tine Gram Sabha area entitled to be  the  voter  of  Gram  Sabha.

Meetings:  Prior  to  the coming  into being  of  HPPR  (Second  Amendment)  Act,  2000  every  Gram  Sabha was required  to hold  two general  meetings  in each year one  in the summer  and  the other  in winter  season.   Later  the  number  of  general  eetings  in an year  was  increased  to  four.  It  is  the  responsibility  of  the  Pradhan  to  convene  the  meetings  of  Gram  Sabha.

Quorum:  The quorum  of  Gram Sabha’s  general  meetings  which  was one-fifth  of the total  members  of  Gram  Sabha  as per  the  1994 Act,  was  changed  to  one-third  under  the  HPPR  (Second  Amendment)  Act  2000.   Decisions  are  taken  by  the  majority  of  members  present  and  voting.

Up-Gram Sabha: The HPPR (Second  Amendment) Act, 2000 made provision  for the setting   up  of  Up-Gram  Sabha  for  each  ward  of  the  Gram  Sabha,    The  person  representing  the  ward  as a  member  of  Gram  Panchayat  is  enjoined  upon  to convene and preside over  two general  meetings of  Up-Gram  Sabha every year.  The Up-Gram Sabha  nominates  its representatives  for  General  Meeting  of  Gram  Sabha one-third  of  whom  have to be women.   It  is empowered  to take cognizance of disputes  in  its area and  make recommendations  to  Gram  Sabha.

Functions of  the  Gram Sabha: Under Section 7 of Himachal  Pradesh  Panchayati  Raj

Act,  1994, Gram  Sabha has been assigned  many functions.   For example,  it mobilises

voluntary   labour  and  contribution   in  kind  and  cash  for  the  community   welfare

programmes.   It  identifies  the  beneficiaries  for  the  implementation  of  development

schemes pertaining  to the village,  promotes  unity  and harmony  among all  sections of

Society   in   Sabha   area   and   is   vested   with   the   power   to   consider   and   make

recommendations  to Gram  Panchayat on important matters.  Thus Gram Sabha works

as  the  legislature  of  village.   Regarding  the  PRIs  system.

Gram Panchayat:  Gram   Panchayat  is  the  lowest  tier  of  PR.    It  is  the  executive  committee  of  the  Gram  Sabha.   This  executive  committee  is  elected  by  the  Gram  Sabha  to  execute  its  works  and  programmes.    Under  Section  8  of  the  Himachal  Pradesh  Panchayati   Raj  Act  1994,  for  a  population  not  exceeding   1500  a  Gram  Panchayat  have  five  members,  between  1500  to  2500  it  will  have  seven  members.  between  2500  to  3500  nine  members,  between  3500  to  4500  eleven  members,  and  above  4500  thirteen  member. It  is  also  provided  further   that  the  number  of  members   of   a   gram   panchayat,   excluding   Pradhan   and   up-Pradhan,   shall   be   determined  in  such a  way  that  the  ratios  between  the population  of  Gram  Sabha  nd  the number  of  seats of  members  in such a panchayat  to be  filled  by  the election shall, so  far  as practicable,  be  the  same  throughout  the  Sabha area.

 Developments  in  Panchayati  Raj  After  the  Himachal  Pradesh  Panchayati  Raj  Act  94  :-

In  1997,  to  bring  the  provisions  of  the  Himachal  Pradesh  Panchayati  Raj  Act,  1994  in lune with  the provision  of  the  Panchayats  (Extension  to the Scheduled  Areas)  Act,  1996  enacted  Himachal  Pradesh  Panchayati  Raj  (Second  Amendment)  Act  1997,  Chapter  VI-A have been  added  in the original  Himachal  Pradesh  Panchayati  Raj, Act 1994. According to the Himachal  Pradesh  Panchayati  Raj  (Second Amendment) Act, 1997  the  provisions  of  chapter  VI-A  will  be  apply  to  PRIs  in the  scheduled  areas  of  the state.   This  Act  extended  the role  of  Gram  Sabha  and  gave  list  of  it’s  functions.  Besides  the  approval  of  economic  and  social  plan.   Gram  Sabha  will  be  responsible  for  the identification  of beneficiaries  under POVERTY alleviation and other programmes. Under  the  Act  Gram  Panchayat  will  be  responsible  to  Gram  Sabha  for  the  proper  utilisation  of  funds.   Further  the Act provides  for  the special  provision  of reservation for  scheduled  tribes  in  all  PRIs.  To preserve  the  traditions  values  and  customs  in the  tribal  areas  Gram  Sabha  has  been  assigned  wide  functions  such as:

(a)       the ownership  of  minor  produce;

(b)       enforcement   of  Prohibition   or   regulation   or   restriction   of   the  sale  and  consumption  of  any  intoxicant;

(c)       management  of  village  markets  by  whatever  name called;

(d)       exercising   control   over   Money   lending   in  the  scheduled   tribes.     

Above functions  will  be  performed  by  the  Gram  Sabha  with  the  help  of  village  in  scheduled  areas.

The  Panchayat  Samiti  will  perform  the  functions  related  to:

(a)       exercising  control  over  institutions  and  functionaries  in  all  social  sectors;

(b)       control  over  local  plans  and  Resources  for  such  plans  including  tribal  plans.

Thus   the   legislative   empowerment   of   the   Gram   Sabha   is   a   political  development  of utmost  importance,  because  it marks the clearest break  from  the most dominant  political  orthodoxy  of  this  century. Further  to  make the  PRIs  more effective,  HPPR  (Amendment)  Act 2000 was enacted.   This  Act  extended  the  powers  of  panchayats  to  impose  penalty  under  the  section  11 and  12 of  the  HPPR  Act,  1994.  The  Act provides  the provision  that total 1/3  seats  reserved  for  SCs/STs  in a village  shall  be occupied  by the women.  The Act provided  that  if  the  office  of  the  Chairman  or  Vice-Chairman  falls  vacant  due  to  certain  reasons  a  fresh  election  within  a  period  of  two  months  from  the  date  of  occurrence  of  vacancy  shall  be  held  from   the  same  category,   in  the  prescribed  manner.   In  the  case  of  standing  committee,  the  term  will  be  two  and  a  half  years.  To  eliminate  Corruption  from  the  PRIs  amendment  has  been  made  in  ARTICLE  122 to debar  the  person  from  contesting  election,  if  he  is  involved  in corrupt  practices. In  2000  again,  HPPR  Act,  1994  was  amended  second  time  in a  year  and  in this  Act  provisions  are  made  for  quarterly  meeting  of  Gram  Sabha  (first  Sunday  of  January,  April,  June  and  October).    Quorum  of  the  meetings  will  be  one-third families  of  the  total  panchayat.  Important provision  regarding  the Up-Gram  Sabha has been added.   Annually   two  meeting  will  be held  and  the meetings  will be presided  over  by the ward  member  (Panch)  regarding  Panchayats,  in  the  event  of  occurrence  of  casual  vacancies  in a panchayat  to  the  extent  the  number  of  remaining  elected  office  bearers  do  not  fulfil  the  quorum   required   for   convening  a  meeting  of  the  panchayat   then  the  State  Government  or prescribed  authority  may nominate persons to fill  the casual vacancies occurred   in  a  Panchayat  till   new  members  are  elected   in  accordance   with  the  provision  of  the  HPPR  Act,  1994.   In the  field  of  social  and  economic planning  now  Panchayats   will   directly   submit   their   development   plan   to   District   Planning   Committees  (DPCs).   Now  the  District  Planning  Committees  will  be  presided  over  by  a  minister  to  be  chosen  by  the  State  Government  under  the  Second  Amendment  Act 2000.”,

Panchayati raj is the system of local self-government in India. It was introduced in the country in 1959 with the passage of the Panchayati Raj Act. The Act provides for the establishment of three-tier Panchayati raj institutions at the village, block, and district levels.

In Himachal Pradesh, Panchayati raj institutions were first established in 1962. The state has a three-tier Panchayati raj system, with village panchayats at the village level, block samitis at the block level, and zila parishads at the district level.

The village panchayat is the basic unit of Panchayati raj in Himachal Pradesh. It is a body of elected representatives from the village. The village panchayat is responsible for the development of the village and for the welfare of its people.

The block samiti is the intermediate tier of Panchayati raj in Himachal Pradesh. It is a body of elected representatives from the villages in the block. The block samiti is responsible for the development of the block and for the welfare of its people.

The zila parishad is the apex tier of Panchayati raj in Himachal Pradesh. It is a body of elected representatives from the blocks in the district. The zila parishad is responsible for the development of the district and for the welfare of its people.

The Panchayati raj institutions in Himachal Pradesh have been playing a vital role in the development of the state. They have been responsible for the implementation of a number of development schemes, such as the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana, the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural EMPLOYMENT Guarantee Act, and the Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojana.

The Panchayati raj institutions have also been instrumental in the promotion of local self-governance and in the empowerment of women and other marginalized groups.

However, the Panchayati raj institutions in Himachal Pradesh are facing a number of challenges. One of the major challenges is the lack of financial resources. The Panchayati raj institutions are not able to generate enough revenue to meet their expenditure. As a result, they have to depend on the state government for financial assistance.

Another challenge faced by the Panchayati raj institutions is the lack of capacity. The elected representatives and the officials of the Panchayati raj institutions are not adequately trained to discharge their responsibilities. As a result, they are not able to perform their functions effectively.

The Panchayati raj institutions are also facing the challenge of corruption. There have been a number of cases of corruption reported in the Panchayati raj institutions in Himachal Pradesh. This has eroded the public confidence in the Panchayati raj institutions.

Despite the challenges, the Panchayati raj institutions in Himachal Pradesh have made a significant contribution to the development of the state. They have been instrumental in the implementation of a number of development schemes and in the promotion of local self-governance. However, the Panchayati raj institutions need to be strengthened to meet the challenges of the 21st century.

The following are some of the reforms that need to be undertaken to strengthen the Panchayati raj institutions in Himachal Pradesh:

  • The Panchayati raj institutions need to be provided with adequate financial resources. The state government should increase the allocation of funds to the Panchayati raj institutions.
  • The Panchayati raj institutions need to be strengthened in terms of capacity. The elected representatives and the officials of the Panchayati raj institutions need to be adequately trained to discharge their responsibilities.
  • The Panchayati raj institutions need to be made more accountable to the people. The people should be able to hold the Panchayati raj institutions accountable for their performance.
  • The Panchayati raj institutions need to be made more transparent. The people should be able to access information about the functioning of the Panchayati raj institutions.
  • The Panchayati raj institutions need to be made more democratic. The people should have a greater say in the functioning of the Panchayati raj institutions.

These reforms will help to strengthen the Panchayati raj institutions in Himachal Pradesh and make them more effective in delivering Services to the people.

What is Panchayati Raj?

Panchayati Raj is a system of local self-government in India. It was introduced in the country in 1959 with the passage of the Panchayati Raj Act. The system is based on the principle of devolution of power to the local level.

What are the objectives of Panchayati Raj?

The objectives of Panchayati Raj are to:

  • Promote local self-government
  • Decentralize power
  • Ensure people’s participation in development
  • Promote rural development
  • Improve the Quality Of Life of the people

What are the features of Panchayati Raj?

The features of Panchayati Raj are:

  • It is a three-tier system of local self-government, with panchayats at the village, block, and district levels.
  • The members of the panchayats are elected by the people.
  • The panchayats have powers to plan and implement development schemes in their areas.
  • The panchayats are accountable to the people.

What are the benefits of Panchayati Raj?

The benefits of Panchayati Raj are:

  • It promotes local self-government.
  • It decentralizes power.
  • It ensures people’s participation in development.
  • It promotes rural development.
  • It improves the quality of life of the people.

What are the challenges of Panchayati Raj?

The challenges of Panchayati Raj are:

  • Lack of financial resources.
  • Lack of technical expertise.
  • Lack of political will.
  • Corruption.
  • Social and economic inequality.

What are the future prospects of Panchayati Raj?

The future prospects of Panchayati Raj are bright. The system has the potential to transform the lives of the people at the grassroots level. However, there are a number of challenges that need to be addressed in order to realize the full potential of Panchayati Raj.

Sure, here are some MCQs on the topics of Panchayati Raj, without mentioning the topic of Panchayati Raj of Himachal Pradesh:

  1. Which of the following is not a feature of Panchayati Raj?
    (a) Decentralization of power
    (b) Democratic decentralization
    (c) Empowerment of people
    (d) Increase in corruption

  2. The Panchayati Raj system was introduced in India in the year:
    (a) 1950
    (b) 1956
    (c) 1976
    (d) 1992

  3. The three-tier Panchayati Raj system consists of:
    (a) Gram Panchayat, Panchayat Samiti, and Zila Parishad
    (b) Gram Sabha, Gram Panchayat, and Panchayat Samiti
    (c) Gram Sabha, Gram Panchayat, Zila Parishad, and State Panchayati Raj Council
    (d) Gram Sabha, Gram Panchayat, Zila Parishad, and State Election Commission

  4. The Gram Sabha is the basic unit of Panchayati Raj. It consists of:
    (a) All the adult members of the village
    (b) All the adult members of the gram panchayat area
    (c) All the adult members of the panchayat samiti area
    (d) All the adult members of the zila parishad area

  5. The Panchayati Raj institutions are responsible for the following functions:
    (a) Agriculture, Irrigation, and rural development
    (b) Primary Education, Health, and family welfare
    (c) Rural roads, drinking water, and sanitation
    (d) All of the above

  6. The Panchayati Raj institutions are funded by the:
    (a) Central government
    (b) State government
    (c) Both the central and state governments
    (d) Local bodies

  7. The Panchayati Raj institutions are accountable to the:
    (a) Gram Sabha
    (b) Panchayat Samiti
    (c) Zila Parishad
    (d) State government

  8. The Panchayati Raj institutions have been successful in the following areas:
    (a) Agriculture and rural development
    (b) Primary education and health
    (c) Rural roads and drinking water
    (d) All of the above

  9. The Panchayati Raj institutions have been less successful in the following areas:
    (a) Women’s empowerment
    (b) Poverty Alleviation
    (c) Environmental protection
    (d) All of the above

  10. The future of Panchayati Raj in India is:
    (a) Bright
    (b) Not so bright
    (c) Uncertain
    (d) Cannot be predicted