History of Grama Panchayat
History of Grama PanchayatThe history of the Grama Panchayat is closely linked with the history of the Indian administrative system and decentralized governance.This history can be mainly summarized as follows:Ancient Period: Indications of self-governance at the village level can be seen in ancient Indian texts. The word 'Panchayatan' refers to a committee of five people who resolved disputes and managed village affairs. Kautilya's Arthashastra and the Shanti Parva of the Mahabharata mention systems of self-governance in villages.British Rule: Under British rule, rural self-governing institutions were weakened and used for purposes like tax collection. However, there were some attempts during this period to establish local self-governing bodies.Post-Independence - Concept of Grama Swaraj: Mahatma Gandhi put forward the concept of "Grama Swaraj," meaning each village should govern its own affairs. Article 40 in the Directive Principles of State Policy of the Constitution included provisions for organizing village panchayats.Balwant Rai Mehta Committee (1957): This committee appointed by the Central Government recommended a three-tier Panchayati Raj system for democratic decentralization.At the village level - Grama Panchayat
At the block level - Panchayat Samiti
At the district level - Zila ParishadBeginning of Panchayati Raj: On October 2, 1959, Jawaharlal Nehru inaugurated the Panchayati Raj system at Bagdari village in Nagaur district, Rajasthan. With this, Panchayati Raj came into existence in India.73rd Constitutional Amendment (1992): This amendment was crucial in giving constitutional status to Panchayati Raj institutions. It provided a basic structure for local self-government institutions, including Grama Panchayats. According to this:The three-tier system was made mandatory. It stipulated that Panchayat members must be directly elected by the people. Reservation was introduced for women and Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes. State Election Commissions and Finance Commissions were formed.In Kerala:The Kerala Panchayat Raj Act, 1994 was passed to form the three-tier Panchayat system in Kerala. District, Block, and Grama Panchayats came into existence on October 2, 1995. The general body of the Grama Panchayat is the Grama Sabha. It is the assembly of voters of a ward. Today, the Grama Panchayat is the smallest local self-government institution at the rural level in India.