PANCHAYATIRAJ SYSTEM
The System:
Panchayati Raj Institutions – the grass-roots
units of self-government – have been proclaimed as the vehicles of
socio-economic transformation in rural India. Effective and meaningful
functioning of these bodies would depend on active involvement, contribution and
participation of its citizens both male and female. The aim of every village
being a republic and Panchayats having powers has been translated into reality
with the introduction of the three-tier Panchayati Raj system to enlist
people’s participation in rural reconstruction.
Nodal Agency:
In the State level, Panchayats & Rural Development Department of the Government of West Bengal is the Nodal Agency for Implementation, Supervision & Monitoring of the major poverty alleviation programmes in the rural areas of this State and at the District-level, Zilla Parishad is the implementing agency for the same.
Under three-tier system of democratic decentralization, Zilla Parishad is the apex body at the district level followed by Panchayat Samitis at Block level as second-tier and Gram Panchayats, the third-tier.
ZILLA PARISHAD
Information
The
Zilla Parishad, Hooghly is functioning at its own office building "Zilla
Parishad Prasasanik Bhavan" at the district head-quarter Chinsurah after constitution
of Zilla Parishad. The Parishad consisting of 47 members of Zilla Parishad constitution.
These total 47 members include Sabhadhipati, Sahakari-Sabhadhipati & 9
Karmadhakshyas.
This
Zilla Parishad has constituted 10 nos. of standing committees i.e. Sthayee
Samities. Chairman of the standing committee have been elected by and from among
the elected members of Parishad for reviewing the schemes.
The
respective standing committees of the Parishad deals with the matter assigned to
them.
Besides the Savapatis of
Panchayat Samities of this district are the Ex-Officio Members of the Hooghly
Zilla Parishad. Moreover,
all the MPs and MLAs of the district Hooghly are also the Ex-Officio members of
the Zilla Parishad as per West Bengal Panchayat Act 1973
The
District Magistrate & Collector is the Executive Officer of Zilla Parishad,
ADM(P&RD) is the Additional Executive Officer and then Secretary, Deputy
Secretary & Additional Deputy Secretary are the other officers of the
Administration of the Zilla Parishad.
The Executive Officer is the administrative head of the Zilla Parishad and Secretary is the drawing & disbursing officer of the Zilla Parishad.
The Organizational Structure is given in the diagram below.
Responsibility
The various Rural Development Works carried at the Villages, Gram Panchayats, Block and District levels are planned, implemented, monitored and maintained by the Zilla Parishad. These works are monitored on the State Level by the Panchayats & Rural Development Department of the Government of West Bengal and on the National level by the Govt. of India. The Z.P. at the district level is responsible for the development and welfare works carried through the central, state share and its own funding. Zilla Parishad supervises the works of Panchayat Samities as well as Gram Panchayats within its Jurisdiction.
There are 18 Panchayat Samities in the district. Each Panchayat Samiti is functioning with the Community Development at the Block level created by the government in the Panchayats & Rural Development Deptt.
Each Panchayat Samiti consists of official and elected members. The official members are the Block Dev. Officer and the Officers of various State Govt. Deptt. ordinarily stationed at the Block level. The official bearers include the Panchayat Samiti members and the Pradhan of the Gram Panchayats. Savapati is the head of the body and is elected directly by the Panchayat Samiti members. And BDO of the respective block is the Executive Officer of the Panchayat Samity.
The main functions of the Panchayat Samitis are planning, execution and supervision of all developmental programmes in the Block . It also supervises the works of Gram Panchayats within its Jurisdiction.
Gram Panchayat is the primary unit of Panchayati Raj Institutions. The district has 210 Gram Panchayats. Each Gram Panchayat comprising some villages and is divided into mouzas. The election of Pradhan, Upa-Pradhan & members are conducted according to the provisions of the West Bengal Panchayat Election Rules. Pradhan as the head of the GP is elected by the G.P. members.
| The Organizational Structure of the Gram Panchayat :-. |
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| There are 210 Gram Panchayats in this district under 18 Panchayat Samitis. Map of the District with GP-Boundary is given on the left side.
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Gram
Sabha
The
Gram Sabha is the most powerful foundation of decentralized governance by
ensuring elected representatives are directly and regularly accountable to the
people. The aim of the government has been to strengthen the Gram Sabha by
introducing favourable policy changes. However, the Gram Sabhas are yet to
become operational entities and to do justice to their potential for making the
Panchayat system truly self-governed and a bottom-up structure.
Some
of the key features in relation to Gram Sabhas are as follows:
 |
The
quorum for a Gram Sabha meeting remains one tenth & it is essent ial
to have one-third of the quorum as women members. |
|
The
Gram Sabha will work as a supervisory body, and audit and regulate the
functioning of |
|
Recommendations
of the Gram Sabha will be binding on the Gram Panchayat. |
|
The
Gram Sabha can approve as well as audit expenditure up to three lakhs. |
|
The
Panchayat Karmi (Panchayat Secretary appointed by the Panchayats but
drawing salary from the state government) can be removed from his/her post
only if the Gram Sabha approves it. |
|
All
the villages within a Gram Panchayat can have separate Gram Sabhas. |
|
The
Gram Sabha will have the right to recall the Pradhan after two and a half
years of commencement of his/her tenure. |
The
key roles entrusted to the Gram Sabha are microplanning, social audit of
Panchayat functioning, ratification of Panchayat accounts, balance sheets,
identification and approval of beneficiaries, and supervisory and regulatory
functions.
The
following indicators were chosen for assessing the prevailing situation in the
field:
|
Participation and level of awareness of the Gram Sabha. |
|
Issues
of discussion and the process of decision-making. |
|
Pattern
of leadership |
|
Capacity
of Gram Sabhas. |
|
Transparency and accountability of the three tiers (GP, PS & ZP) to the Gram Sabha. |
The Organizational Linkage
The Organizational linkage of the three tier Panchayati Raj System is given below in a diagram.
