Panchayati Raj Act 1994

The evolution of the Panchayati raj has been a significant part of India’s development and progression. The presence and implantation of a grass root level of government are also praiseworthy as they might have allowed the government to precise its administrative governance and its strategy of providing an efficient plan of growth and development. The Panchayati Raj act has been a crucial contribution to the establishment and implementation of Panchayati Raj Institutions. The Panchayati Raj system had been prevailing in India since the Prehistoric period of the Vedas around 1700 BC. The basic functions of the Gram Panchayat have been quite similar extending from “Sabhas” to current day local meetings or bodies headed by a council. The Panchayati Raj mainly consists of a committee of five members who work on maintaining the implementation of the act and monitoring the functions of the Gram Panchayat. The Panchayati Raj Act is also one of the most vital acts brought out by the Indian Government that allows a decentralised and local form of governance at the most basic level of society. The Panchayati Raj act also has been implanted with a set of norms and legal regulations that allowed the establishment of a proper structure of grass root level administration and helped in the formation of the proper composition of Gram Panchayat for its smooth functioning.

The Panchayati Raj Act 

The Panchayati Raj act is considered to be a vital part of the Indian governance that allowed constitutional recognition as well providing the fundamental level of structure for the Panchayati Raj Institutions. The Panchayati Raj Act was first adopted by the state of Bihar in 1947 under the regulation of the Bihar Panchayati Raj Act.  It was also implemented in various other states in the same year of 1947 such as Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Rajasthan, etc. The main of the Panchayati Raj Act of 1947 was to authorise the functions of the Gram Panchayat to collect revenues and charge taxes for services such as maintenance of roadways, the establishment of schools and hospitals and other functions that the composition of Gram Panchayat is responsible for. This act was then finally followed by the Panchayati Raj act of 1994 implemented by several state governments such as Tamil Nadu, Assam, Kerala, etc., which is considered as a final improvisation of the previous acts in addition to the 73rd amendment of the Indian constitution passed on April 1993.

The functions of  Gram Panchayat

The Panchayati Raj Act has regulated the functions of Gram Panchayat at the most fundamental level. The government of India with the Establishment of the Ministry of Panchayati Raj in 2004 in both central and state governments has also proposed in its 73rd amendment a three-tier format for the Panchayati Raj Institutions with respective positions responsible for overseeing such as Sarpanch, Block Development Officer, etc., for effective maintenance.  It has also implemented and regulated the functions of Gram Panchayat in addition to determining the composition of the Gram panchayat. Some of the functions are:

• Sanitation, ensuring proper drainage and  prevention of public faced problems and misconductance
• Efficient and preventive regulations in response to an epidemic
• Ensuring proper availability of drinking water and monitoring the regular disinfecting of the resources and storage of water supply
• The maintenance, repair, construction and protection of public streets;
• The management and maintenance of storage and public tanks
• Helping create a voluntary workforce for the development of its area
• The proper control and maintenance of the Gram Panchayat Fund

Some functions proposed by the State Government:

• Irrigation facilities
• Grow-more-food proposals and ensure progress
• Rehabilitation of migrated people and help financially weak persons
• Improved breeding of cattle quality and maintenance

Composition of Gram Panchayat

The gram panchayat according to the Panchayati Raj Act is primarily divided into five wards and each ward is headed by a ward member. The ward member is also referred to as Panch who is directly selected by the villagers. The panchayat works with the elected president of the village often called the sarpanch. The term sarpanch is commonly referred to as the head of the five “panch” or the main representative of the local government that works in coalition with the primary government to ensure the functions of Gram Panchayat are well worked upon.

The primary composition of the Gram Panchayat is:

• Zila Parishad, at the district level
•  Nagar Palika, at the block level
•  Gram Panchayat, at the village level

In addition to these the composition of Gram Panchayat also contains Gram sabhas and other interim local committees.

Conclusion

The article has attempted to explain in brief the Panchayati Raj Act. The article has also aimed to present an overview of the functions of Gram Panchyat along with a short note on the composition of Gram Panchayat.