Chapter 8 Local Governments

Chapter 8 Local Governments

Questions 1.
Constitution of India visualised village panchayats as emits 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 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.
Answer:
(a) This refers that Gram Panchayat was not consulted before the establishment of steel plant, by the state government. This action can weaken the institution of panchayats. The resolution passed by Gram Sabha strengthened the panchayats by giving them right to move to courts against the unilateral move of the state government.
(b) This decision of state government help the panchayats financially on the ground not to interfere in the decisions and priorities of the panchayats as well as panchayats need independent sources of revenue to operate effectively at the local level.
(c) This will weaken the Panchayati Raj because these institutions prioritize their developmental agenda themselves and denial for the same weaken them to become a self government.
(d) If this division has taken place on the recommendations of Panchayati Raj Institutions, it strengthen their powers but if it has been done on its own by the state, it would weaken these institutions.
(e) This will strengthen the Panchayati Raj Institutions’ respect and power.

Questions 2.
Suppose you are entrusted to evolve a local government plan of a State, what powers would you endow to the village panchayats to function as units of self-government? Mention any five powers and the justification in two lines for each of them for giving those powers.
Answer:

Questions 3.
What are the provisions for the reservations for the socially disadvantaged groups as per the 73rd amendment? Explain how these provisions have changed the profile of the leadership at the village level.
Answer:
In 1993, two constitutional amendment Acts, were passed to recognise local self-government at the grass-root level. 73rd amendment made the following provisions:

Questions 4.
What were the main differences between the local governments before 73rd amendment and after that amendment?
Answer:
Before 73rd Amendment:

After 73rd Amendment:

Questions 5.
Read the following conversation. Write in two hundred words your opinion about the issues raised in this conversation.
Alok: Our Constitution guarantees equality between men and women. Reservations in local bodies for women ensure their equal share in power.
Neha: But it is not enough that women should be in positions of power. It is necessary that the budget of local bodies should have separate provision for women.
Jayesh: I don’t like this reservations business. A local body must take care of all people in the village and that would automatically take care of women and their interests.
Answer:
This conversation is based on the issue of empowerment of women on equal basis:

Questions 6.
Read the provisions of the 73rd Amendment. Which of the following concerns does this amendment address?
(a) Fear of replacement makes representatives accountable to the people.
(b) The dominant castes and feudal landlords dominate the local bodies.
(c) Rural illiteracy is very high. Illiterate people cannot take decisions about the development of the village.
(d) To be effective the village panchayats need resources and powers to make plans for the village development.
Answer:
(a) After 73rd Amendment Act, 1993:

(b) Reservation for SCs, STs, and women have been provided.
The women have reservation of 1/3 seats in local bodies.
SCs and STs have been given proportion accordingly to their population of that particular area.
Hence, dominance of feudal lords and dominant classes has come to an end.

(c)  In the eleventh schedule of the constitution, 29 subjects have been given to localbodies in 1992.
Primary and secondary education is the part of this list to make the people literate in village.
The state government would shoulder the responsibility. .

(d) The panchayats have been given powers to levy, collect taxes, duties and fees according to state government’s provision.
The provisions for the establishment of a state finance commission have also been made to review the finances of panchayats and to make recommendations also.

Questions 7.
The following are different justifications given in favour of local government. Give them ranking and explain why you attach greater significance to a particular rationale than the others. According to you, on which of these rationales the decision of the Gram panchayat of Vengaivasal village was based? How?
(a) Government can complete the projects with lesser cost with the involvement of the local community.
(b) The development plans made by the local people will have greater acceptability than those made by the government officers.
(c) People know their area, needs problems and priorities. By collective participation they should discuss and take decisions about their life.
(d) It is difficult for the common people to contact their representatives of the State or the national legislature.
Answer:
These can be ranked as follows:

The decision of Gram Panchayat of Vengaivasal village was based on the rational (c)— people know their needs, areas, problems and priorities to take decision about life.

Qustions 8.
Which of the following according to you involve decentralization? Why are other options not sufficient for decentralization?
(a) To hold election of the Gram Panchayat.
(b) Decision by the villagers themselves about what policies and programmes are useful for the village.
(c) Power to call meeting of Gram Sabha.
(d) A Gram Panchayat receiving the report from the Block Development Officer about the progress of a project started by the State government.
Answer:
(a) It may be the main point of involvement of decentralization.
(b) The representatives are elected by the villagers only from among themselves.
(c) It may also be subsidiary.
(d) It is the manifestation of the working of decentralization.

Questions 9.
A student of Delhi University, Raghavendra Parpanna, wanted to study the role of decentralization in decision making about primary education. He asked some questions to the villagers. These questions are given below. If you were among those villagers, what answer would you give to each of these questions?

A meeting of the Gram Sabha is to be called to discuss what steps should be taken to ensure that every child of the village goes to the school.
(а) How would you decide the suitable day for the meeting? Think who would be able to attend/not attend the meeting because of your choice.

(b) What is a suitable venue for the meeting? Why?

(c) In the Gram Sabha meeting firstly a circular sent by the district collector was read. It suggested what steps should be taken to organise an education rally and what should be its route. The meeting did not discuss about the children who never come to school or about girls’ education, or the condition ol the school building and the timing of the school. No women teacher attended the meeting as it was held on Sunday. What do you think about these proceedings as an instance of people’s participation?

(d) Imagine your class as the Gram Sabha. Discuss the agenda of the meeting and suggest some steps to realize the goal.
Answer:
(a) The day of village haat would be the most appropriate due to availability of a number of peoples to sell and purchase the commodities.

(b) The most suitable venue for the meeting would be the village school where every person feel free to move and come to join the meeting because rest of the venues are community based and people will not be comfortable to join the meeting.

(c) It was held on Sunday, hence the women teachers did not attend it.
A Gram Sabha meeting should be held to discuss the problems of village in place of organising an education rally.
This meeting had to discuss the problems like education, condition of school, girls education as well as regularity of children in school.

(d) The agenda would be for meeting:

Extra Questions Solved

Very Short Answer Type Questions

Questions 1.
What do you mean by local government?
Answer:
The local government gives a strength to the democratic setup in a country to ensure participation of local people at the level of villages and towns.

Questions 2.
Name the Viceroy who created the local bodies in British India.
Answer:
Lord Ripon (1882).

Questions 3.
Name the states to have local government during 1960s and 1970s.
Answer:
Maharashtra, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan.

Questions 4.
Mention the sources of income of local bodies.
Answer:

Questions 5.
Name the main local self governing bodies.
Answer:

Questions 6.
Mention the three organs of Gram Panchayat.
Answer:

Questions 7.
What do you mean by Panchayati Raj?
Answer:
Panchayati Raj is a part of local government for the upliftment of villages.

Questions 8.
What are the organs of Panchayati Raj?
Answer:

Questions 9.
Write the main functions of each of the organs of Gram Panchayat.
Answer:

Questions 10.
Who is known as Mayor?
Answer:
The formal head of Municipal Corporation to be elected for one year by the members of corporation is called Mayor.

Questions 11.
Mention the role of‘State Election Commissioner’s.
Answer:
The State Election Commission is an independent officer to be appointed by the state government to conduct elections in Panchayati Raj Institutions.

Questions 12.
What is the need and importance of local bodies?
Answer:
Need: Local bodies ensure participation of local people to run the government who better know the problems as well as their solutions.
Importance: The local people co-operate with the administration for its smooth running.

Questions 13.
Mention the views of Mahatma Gandhi on village Panchayats.
Answer:

Questions 3.
What is the composition of Gram Sabha?
Answer:

Questions 4.
What are the main functions of Gram Sabha?
Answer:

Questions 5.
What is the composition of Gram Panchayat?
Answer:

Questions 6.
What are the main functions of panchayats?
Answer:

Questions 7.
What is the composition of Zila Parishad?
Answer:
After the 73rd Amendment:

Questions 8.
Mention the sources of income to Zila Parishad.
Answer:

Question 9.
What is the composition of finance commission?
Answer:
The state government appoints the state finance commission after every five years to allocate funds to the rural local self-government.

Question 10.
What are the functions of state finance commission?
Answer:

Short Answer Type Questions

Question 1.
What does the Panchayati Raj stand for?
Answer:
Panchayati Raj was incorporated on the suggestions given by Balwant Rai Mehta Committee in 1956, which said that without the cooperation of local people, the development work cannot take place at local level. Hence, the three-tier system was established to decentralise the power and to give due representation to the local people to implement the programmes:

Question 2.
What is the composition of Panchayat Samiti?
Answer:
The block panchayat is known as panchayat samiti, consisting of following members:

Question 3.
What are the main functions of Gram Panchayat?
Answer:

Question 4.
What are the main functions of Gram Sabha?
Answer:

Question 5.
Mention the weaknesses of Panchayati Raj system.
Answer:

Question 6.
What were the constitutional provisions for local self-government before 1992?
Answer:

Question 7.
‘The local government strengthens democracy’. Justify the statement.
Answer:

Question 8.
What is the importance of year 1992 and 1993 for local governments?
Answer:

Passage-Based Questions

Passage 1.
Read the passage (NCERT Textbook, page 191) given below carefully and answer the questions that follows:

The Constitutional amendments assigned as many as 29 subjects to the local governments. All these subjects are related to functions linked to local welfare and development needs. The experience with the functioning of local government in the past decade has shown that local governments in India enjoy limited autonomy to perform the functions assigned to them. Many States have not transferred most of the subjects to the local bodies. This means that the local bodies cannot really function in an effective manner. Therefore, the entire exercise of electing so many representatives becomes somewhat symbolic. Some people criticise the formation of the local bodies because this has not changed the way in which decisions are taken at the central and the State level. People at the local level do not enjoy much powers of choosing welfare programmes or allocation of resources.

Questions:
1. How many subjects have been assigned to local governments?
2. What is the main theme of these subjects?
3. How can we say that local government enjoy limited autonomy only?
4. On what grounds, the formation of local bodies have been criticised?
Answers:
1. 29 subjects have been assigned to local governments.

2. These subjects are related to functions linked to local welfare and development needs.

3. Because many states have not transferred most of the subjects to the local bodies. Hence, many representatives become symbolic only.

4. Because, the decisions taking methods have not been changed at the central and state level. So the people at local level do not enjoy much powers of choosing welfare programmes or allocation of resources.

Passage 2.
Read the passage (NCERT Textbook, page 186) given below carefully and answer the questions that follows:

The State government is required to appoint a State Election Commissioner who would be responsible for conducting elections to the Panchayati Raj institutions. Earlier, this task was performed by the State administration which was under the control of the State government. Now, the office of the State Election Commissioner is autonomous like the Election Commissioner of India. However, the State Election Commissioner is an independent officer and is not linked to nor is this officer under the control of the Election Commission of India.

Questions:
1. Who conducts elections for local bodies?
2. Who performed this task earlier?
3. What is the status of State Election Commissioner?
Answers:
1. State Election Commissioner conducts the elections for local bodies.

2. State Administration under the control of state government.

3. State Election Commissioner is an independent officer who is not linked to nor under the control of election commission of India.

Long Answer Type Questions

Question 1.
Mention some subjects included in the eleventh schedule.
Answer:
Eleventh schedule was listed with the 29 subjects in 1992 by the 73rd Amendment Act:

Question 2.
Explain the three tier structure of Panchayati Raj alongwith one function of each of them.
Answer:
The Panchayati Raj has three-tier system:

Composition of Gram Panchayat:
The members of the Gram Panchayat are elected by Gram Sabha and every adult who is the resident of village has the right to vote in these elections.
Functions:

Composition of Panchayat Samiti:

Functions:

3. Composition of Zila Parishad:

Functions:

Question 3.
Distinguish between Gram Panchayat and Gram Sabha. What are the functions of Gram Panchayat?
Answer:
Difference:

Functions:

Question 4.
What is the importance of local bodies in modern times?
Answer:

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