INDIAN GOVERNMENT STRUCTURE

Governance Structure in India

a)      Parliament

Federal Level:

Lok Sabha- Lower House- 542 seats

Rajya Sabha- Elected by electoral college comprising of state level parliamentarians. 
Proportionate representation in terms of population

State Level:

Vidhan Sabha- Lower House

Vidhan Parishad- Upper House

·       
         Generally more than 350 parties contest in elections and representation comes from more than 40 parties on average. It means that more plural representation is included through participation of smaller parties from smaller regions.

·         It means more wider opinions and consensus on decisions

·         Negative side is that government relies on support from smaller parties hence they cant take big decisions

Local Government

Village Panchayat (Gram Panchayat)

Structure

·         In the structure of the Panchayati Raj, the Village Panchayat is the lowest unit.

·       
     There is a Panchayat for each village or a group of villages in case the population of these villages happens to be too small. The Panchayat chiefly consists of representatives elected by the people of the village.

·    Only the persons who are registered as voters and do not hold any office of profit under the government are eligible for election to the Panchayat. The persons convicted by the court for criminal offences are disqualified from election of the Panchayat.

·         There is also provision for co-option of two women and one member of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, if they do not get adequate representation in the normal course.

·         The Panchayat as a body is accountable to the general body of the village known as Gram Sabha which meets at least twice a year.

·         The Gram Panchayat must present its budget, accounts of the previous year and annual administrative report before the Gram Sabha.

·         Furthermore, it has to secure the latter’s approval of the village production plan, proposals for taxation and development programmes before they are enforced by the Panchayat.

·         Every Panchayat elects a President or Sarpanch and a Vice-President or Upsarpanch. In some states the Sarpanch is directly elected by the Gram Sabha either through the show of hands or through secret ballot while in other states the mode of election is indirect.

Role and Duties of Surpanch

·         The Sarpanch occupies a pivotal position in Gram Panchayat system. He supervises and coordinates the various activities of the Panchayat

·         He is an ex-officio member of the Panchayat Samiti (Block/Tehsil Level( and participates in its decision-making as well as in the election of the Pradhan and of the members of various Standing Committees

·         He acts as the executive head of the Panchayat, represents it in the Panchayat Samiti as its spokesman and coordinates its activities and those of other local institutions like cooperatives.

·         The Panchayat Secretary and the Village Level Worker are the two officers at the Panchayat level to assist the Sarpanch in administration.

·         The Panchayat Secretary assists the Panchayat in recording decisions, keeping minutes, preparing budget estimates and reports, and does other sundry jobs like preparing notices, explaining circulars, organising Gram Sabha meetings etc.

·         The Village Level Worker now called Village Development Officer assists the Panchayat in drawing up agricultural production plans, helps farmers in securing loans for agriculture, arranges the supply of inputs like seeds and fertilizers, and educates farmers about modern agricultural practices. He serves as the principal link between the Panchayat and the Panchayat Samiti.

·         The Gram Panchayats can levy certain taxes and duties to meet their expenses. Some of the taxes which the Gram Panchayats can levy include tax on animals, vehicles, house, vacant lands and professions. They can also levy duty on transfer or property situated in the area under their jurisdiction.

·         The fees paid for presenting civil criminal cases before the Panchayats and fines on account violation of Panchayat laws are other sources of its income. But a, as the duties to be performed by the Panchayats are so onerous that they have to depend on the state government for further finances.

·         As regards the principal functions performed by the Village Panchayat, they include maintenance of roads, wells, schools, burning and burial grounds, sanitation, public health, libraries, reading rooms, community centre etc.

·         The Panchayat also keeps records of births and deaths. It makes necessary provisions for the promotion of agriculture and animal husbandry, cottage CONTI industries, co-operative societies etc. The minor disputes among residents of village are also settled by the Village Panchayat.

·         It seeks to ensure a minimum standard of cultivation for raising agricultural production. In addition, the Panchayat also acts as the agent of the Panchayat Samiti in executing schemes of development at the village level

2. Panchayat Samiti:

The Panchayat Samiti is the second on join tier of the Panchayati Raj. The Samiti, according to the Committee, offers “an area large enough for functions which the Village Panchayat cannot perform and yet small enough to attract the interest and services of residents

Structure:

Usually a Panchayat Samiti consists of 20 to 60 villages depending on area and population. The average population under a Samiti is about 80,000 but the range is from 35,000 to 1, 00,000

(1) about twenty members elected by and from the Panches of all the Panchayats falling in the block area;

(2) two women members and one member each from the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes to be co- opted, provided they do not get adequate representation otherwise;

(3) two local persons possessing experience of public life and administration, which may be beneficial for the rural development;

 (4) representatives of the Co-operatives working within the jurisdiction of the block;

(5) one representative elected by and from the members of each small municipality lying within the geographical limits of a block;

(6) the members of the State and Union legislatures representing the area are to be taken as associate members.

Roles & Duties of Pardhan and Panchayat Simiti:

·         The President of the Panchayat Samiti is the Pradhan, who is elected by an electoral college consist of all members of the Panchayat Samiti and all the Panchas of the Gram Panchayat falling within the areas  the Up-pradhan is also elected.

·     He ensures the implementation of the decisions and resolutions of the Samiti and its Standing Committees.

·         He is a member of the Zilla Parishad by virtue of his office as a Pradhan. He is the ex- officio chairman of the Standing Committees of the Samiti

As the Chief Executive Officer of the Panchayat Samiti, the Block Development Officer is entrusted with the responsibility for implementing the resolutions of the Samiti and its Standing Committees. He prepares the budget of the Samiti and places it before the Samiti for approval.

·         Preparing the annual report of the Samiti and sending it to the Zilla Parishad and State Government also comes within the purview of his responsibility. He is accountable to the President of the Samiti for his actions.

·         The principal function of the Panchayat Samiti is to co­ordinate the activities of the various Panchayats within its jurisdiction. The Panchayat Samiti supervises the work of the Panchayats and scrutinises their budgets. It also reserves the right to suggest measures for improving the functioning of the Panchayats

·         The Samiti is charged with the responsibility of preparing and colon implementing plans for the development of agriculture, animal to SU (husbandry, fisheries, small scale and cottage industries, rural health tropic etc.

·         On the face of things it may appear that the Panchayat Samiti enjoys enormous powers. But the reality is something different. It has no independence in instituting special programmes or development projects of its choice. It simply carries out the directives of the State Government pertaining to specific projects.

3. Zilla Parishad:

The Zilla Parishad stands at the apex of the three-tier structure of the Panchayati Raj system. Generally, the Zilla Parishad consists of

·         representatives of the Panchayat Samiti;

·         all the members of the State Legislature and the Parliament representing a part or whole of the district;

·         all district level officers of the Medical, Public Health, Public Works, Engineering, Agriculture, Veterinary, Education and other development departments

·         The Collector is also a member of the Zilla Parishad.

·         The Chairman of the Zilla Parishad is elected from among its members. There is a Chief Executive Officer in the Zilla Parishad. He is deputed to the Zilla Parishad by the State Government. There are subject matter specialists or officers at the district level in all the states for various development programmes.

Role and duties

·         The Zilla Parishad, for the most part, performs co-ordinating and supervisory functions. It coordinates the activities of the Panchayat Samitis falling within its jurisdiction. In certain states the Zilla Parishad also approves the budgets of the Panchayat Samitis.

·         The Zilla Parishad also renders necessary advice to the Government with regard to the implementation of the various development schemes. It is also responsible for the maintenance of primary and secondary schools, hospitals, dispensaries, minor irrigation works etc. It also promotes local industries and art

·         The finances of the Zilla Parishad consist of the grants received from the State Government and share in the land cess and other local cess and taxes. Sometimes it has been allowed by the State Government to levy certain taxes or enhance the taxes already levied by the Panchayat Samitis subject to a certain limit.

Local Governments of India- Urban Context

a 1) Nagar Nigam/ Mahanagar Palika (Municipal Corporation)- state government formed departments that works for the development of a metropolitan city, which has a population of more than 1 million.

b  2) Nagar Palika (Municipality)- is an urban local body that administers a city of population 1,00,000 but less than 10,00,000. However, there are exceptions to that, as previously nagar palikas were constituted in urban centers with population over 20,000 so all the urban bodies which were previously classified as Nagar palika were reclassified as Nagar palika even if their population was under 100,000.

Under the Panchayati Raj system, it interacts directly with the state government, though it is administratively part of the district it is located in.

The members of the Nagar palika are elected representatives for a term of five years. The town is divided into wards according to its population, and representatives are elected from each ward.

    3) Nagar Panchayat (Notified Area Council)- City Council is a form of an urban political unit in India comparable to a municipality. An urban centre with more than 11,000 and less than 25,000 inhabitants is classified as a "Nagar Panchayat".

Each Nagar Panchayat has a committee consisting of a chairman with ward members.