Karnataka - Bangalore

`State has a decent record in empowering panchayats'

C. Narayana Swamy

Bangalore: There can be no Swaraj without Gram Raj, said Gandhiji.

"The State shall establish panchayats and endow them with such powers and authority as will enable them to function as units of self-government," says the Directive Principles of State Policy enshrined in the Constitution.

Transforming the vision of the Mahatma and the Constitutional directive into reality, the 73rd and 74th amendments to the Constitution have ushered into the Indian polity a system of local governance. The local bodies, both urban and rural, no longer need to depend on the mercy of State Governments for their survival, even though the domain of the panchayats falls within the jurisdiction of States.

Karnataka has a decent track record of devolution of powers and functions to the panchayats. The Village Panchayats and Local Boards Act of 1959 enabled the establishment of gram panchayats and taluk development Boards in 1960. These local bodies functioned till 1983.

The 1983 Assembly elections brought about a change of government in the State. The Janata Party government headed by the late Ramakrishna Hegde, with the late Abdul Nazeer Sab as Minister for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, took steps to realise the Gandhian dream of Gram Raj in the State. The Karnataka Zilla Parishads, Taluk Panchayat Samithis, Mandal Panchayats and Nyaya Panchayats Bill, 1983 was unanimously passed and became an Act in 1985.

Golden age

The period between 1987 and 1992 can be described as the golden age of panchayati raj in the State. Powerful and effective panchayati raj institutions (PRIs) were established.

The concepts of gram sabha, State Election Commission, State Finance Commission and special powers and functions that were later incorporated into the Constitution found place in the Karnataka Act of 1985. Reservation of 25 per cent for women in zilla parishads and mandal panchayats was provided.

An effective system of panchayati raj is a prerequisite for an efficient delivery system for planning and implementation of rural development and social welfare programmes. More than a decade after the Constitutional amendment, many important mandatory provisions are still to be implemented in many States, including Karnataka.

New legislation

Karnataka was the first State in the country to bring in new panchayati raj legislation — the Karnataka Panchayati Raj Act of 1993 — after the Constitutional amendment by replacing the Act of 1985. The repealing of the earlier Act was seen as a retrograde step. An era of a vibrant and an effective system of democratic decentralisation was brought to an abrupt end.

The Panchayat Act of 1993 envisages the setting up of a statuary body called the State Panchayat Council headed by the Chief Minister. It is expected to meet once in six months. But the first meeting was held after 12 years when the present Chief Minister convened a meeting of panchayat chiefs and others recently.

The Constitution mandates the setting up of District Planning Committees (DPCs) to prepare annual plans. Until recently, no action was taken to set up the DPCs. It is at the instance of the Union Government and the initiative taken by the present State Government that the DPCs are now being made functional.

Model

Kerala is cited as a model in panchayati raj. It has introduced many innovative changes, which others can emulate. But Karnataka has the capability to restore a vibrant democracy at the grass roots.

(The author is a former MP and former president of Bangalore Rural Zilla Panchayat.)

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