1. Democratic Decentralisation in India

Why in News?

The 73rd and 74th constitutional amendment Acts, which were passed to encourage democratic decentralisation in India, have been in effect for about 30 years, yet very little real progress has been accomplished in this area.
What is Democratic Decentralisation?

• About:

i. Democratic decentralisation is the method of transferring authority over the state’s resources and responsibilities from the centre to the elected officials at lower tiers in order to encourage greater direct public engagement in government.
ii. The Indian Constitution’s concept of devolution goes beyond simple delegation. It entails that clearly defined governance obligations be explicitly delegated to local governments by law, supported by a sufficient transfer of financial grants and tax revenues, and that these governments are provided with employees so they have the resources they need to carry out their duties.

• Related Constitutional Provisions:
i. The devolution of power and authority to panchayats has been left up to the states’ discretion because local administration, including panchayats, is a state subject under the Constitution.
ii. The Constitution requires that municipalities and panchayats be elected every five years and commands States to assign tasks and duties to them through legislation.
iii. The creation of panchayats and municipalities as elected local governments was required by the 73rd and 74th Amendments, which established Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) in India.

What are the Major Achievements of the Local Bodies?

• Women Representation has Incresead:

i. Since the 73rd Amendment Act’s passage, the share of elected women members has been continuously increasing. India now has 260,512 Panchayats with 3.1 million elected representatives, 1.3 million of them are women, a record number.
ii. While women are just 7-8% represented in Parliament and State Assemblies, 49% of elected local officials are women (and in certain states, like Odisha, that number has surpassed 50%).Created Healthy Competition among Various States:
iii. The passage of the 73rd and 74th Amendments has created healthy competition among various states regarding devolution (the 3Fs: funds, functions, and functionaries).
For instance:
a) 29 of Kerala’s responsibilities have been given to Panchayats.
b) Rajasthan was inspired by Kerala to transfer numerous important ministries to PRIs, including those dealing with women’s issues, agriculture, health, and education.
c) Similar to this, Bihar proposed “Panchayat Sarkar,” while states like Odisha boosted the proportion of women’s seats to 50%.
What are the Issues with Local Governments in India?

Insufficient Funding:

a) The money given to the local governments is inadequate to meet their basic requirements.
b) A number of conditions constrain the use of money, including inflexibility in spending the allocated budget.
c) There is little investment in enabling and strengthening local governments to raise their own taxes and user charges.
 Infrastructural Challenges:
i. Some Gram Panchayats (GPs) share space with schools, Anganwadi centres, and other establishments since they don’t have their own building.
ii. Some people possess a building, but it is devoid of necessities like bathrooms, running water, and electricity. Despite having internet access, many times doctors’ offices are unable to use it. Panchayat representatives have to travel to Block Development offices for any data entry requirements, which slows down operations.

Lack of Staff:

Local governments lack the personnel to carry out even the most elementary duties. Additionally, because the majority of personnel are employed by higher level departments and deputed to local governments, they do not feel accountable to the latter; instead, they work as a part of a departmental system that is vertically integrated.

Untimely and Delayed Elections:

The constitutional requirement that municipal governments be elected every five years is frequently broken by states.
Inefficient Local Government:
Local governments don’t actually make policies for local development; they only serve as a mechanism for execution. Technology-enabled programmes have had their function progressively diminished.

Corruption:

Elections for local governments draw contractors and criminal elements who are enticed by the massive amounts of money currently available to them. Thus, a collaboration between elected politicians and officials at all levels exists, creating a market chain of corruption. However, there is no proof that decentralisation has resulted in an increase in corruption.

Way Forward:

• Revitalisation of Gram Sabhas:

i. Gram Sabhas and wards committees in metropolitan areas have to be rejuvenated to accomplish the purpose of people’s involvement in practical terms.
ii. Organizational structures for local government must be strengthened with enough manpower. To ensure the efficient operation of panchayats, serious efforts should be made in the recruitment and appointment of technical and support personnel.

• Comprehensive Mechanism for Taxation:

Devise a comprehensive mechanism for taxation at the local levels. Without local taxation, Gram Panchayats cannot be held accountable.

Funding:

a) To guarantee that there is no delay in their disbursement, the Ministry of Panchayati Raj should keep an eye on how Finance Commission monies are released and used.
b) Additionally, it should be made sure that grants are used in a legal and efficient way. It is also important to urge panchayats to conduct local audits on a regular basis so that grants from the Finance Commission are not postponed.