Constitution of India visualised Village Panchayats as units of self-government. Think over the situation described in the following statements and explain how do these situations strengthen or weaken the Panchayats in becoming units of local self-government.
(a) Government of a state has allowed a big company to establish a huge steel plant. Many villages would be adversely affected by the steel plant. Gram Sabha of one of the affected villages passed a resolution that before establishing any big industries in the region, village people must be consulted and their grievances should be redressed.
(b) The Government has decided that 20% of all its expenditure would be done through the Panchayats.
(c) A Village Panchayat kept on demanding funds for a building for village school, the government officials turned down their proposal saying that funds are allocated for certain other schemes and cannot be spent otherwise.
(d) The government divided a village Dungarpur into two and made a part of village Jamuna and Sohana. Now village Dungarpur has ceased to exist in Government's books.
(e) A Village Panchayat observed that water sources of their region are depleting fast. They decided to mobilise village youth to do some voluntary work and revive the old village ponds and wells.
(a) It is said that many villages would be adversely affected by the Steel Plant. The Gram Sabha has passed a resolution against it. It implies that the gram panchayat was not consulted before the steel plant was decided by the State government. This action of the State government will severely weaken the institution of Panchayats. The Gram Sabha of one of the affected villages passed the resolution that village people must be consulted and their grievances must be redressed. It will strengthen the Panchayats as it can now move to courts for a direction against the unilateral move of the state government.
(b) The decision of the State government that 20% of all its expenditure would be done through the Panchayats, will surely help the finances of the Panchayats. If the state government does not interfere in the decisions and the priorities of the Panchayats, this will strengthen the Panchayat. At the same time the financial dependence of the local bodies on the State government will impinge on their capacity to operate effectively. The Panchayats need independent sources of revenue.
(c) The basic idea for the creation of Panchayati Raj institutions is that the people themselves prioritize their development agenda. The turning down of the demand for funds for building a village school by government officials saying that the funds are allotted for certain other schemes, will surely weaken the Panchayats in becoming units of self-government.
(d) There is no mention here, whether the government has divided the village Durgapur into two village on the recommendations of the Panchayat under which it falls. If the government has done this on its own, then surely this action would weaken Panchayati Raj institutions. If it has effected division on the recommendations of the concerned Panchayat. The action would not weaken these institutions.
(e) The mobilisation of village youth to do some voluntary work and revive the old village ponds and wells will make the presence of there instituions felt. The village people will develop increased respect for the gram panchayat. Thus, the Panchayati Raj institutions would be strengthened.
