A presentation on the Panchayat System in West Bengal, India

1. PANCHAYAT’S IN WEST BENGAL
A PRACTITIONER’S PERSPECTIVE

2. WHAT IS DEMOCREATC
DECENTRALISATION?
 Decentralization is the transfer of
political, administrative and fiscal
responsibilities to locally elected
bodies in urban and rural areas, and
the empowerment of communities
to exert control over these bodies.

3. The three ‘F’s of Decentralisation
Function
Fund
Functionary

4. History of Panchayats in India
 Pre-independence, pre-British period
 Pre-independence, British period
 Makers of the Constitution and constitutional
provision
 Post-independence Community Development
Programme and Balwanta Rai Mehta Commission
(1957)
 Asoke Mehta Committee Report (1978)
 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments

5. History of Panchayats in West
Bengal
 Pre-British period
 British period
 Bengal Local Self-Government Act, 1885
 Post-independence period
 First generation (pre-1978)
 Second generation (78-94)
 Third generation (1994-2009)
 Fourth generation?

6. Major contributions towards
decentralisation
 Uninterrupted panchayat functioning since 1978
 Regular elections
 Constitutional mandate
 State Election Commission
 Devolution of fund
 State Finance Commissions
 Reservations
 Social audit
 Activity mapping
 Road map

7. Social Audit
 Gram Sansad
 Gram Sabha
 Block Sansad
 Zilla Sansad
 Gram Unnayan Samity
 Voluntary Disclosure
 Public Grievance Redressal System

8. Vertical Decentralisation
 State devolution
 SFC mandates
 Activity mapping
 State- LSGI
 Zilla Parishad/ Mahakuma Parishad
 Panchayat Samity
 Gram Panchayat
 Gram Unnayan Samity

9. Horizontal Decentralisation
 Officials through Sthayee Samitis
 Officials through Sub Committees
 Officials in Gram Unnayan Samity
 Participation of all members in Sthayee Samitis
 Participation of all members in Upa Samitis
 Block Sansad
 Zilla Sansad

10. Roadmap for Panchayats
 Assigned functions
 Agency functions
 Own functions
 People’s participation
 Social audit
 Civil society participation
 Panchayat-private partnership
 Panchayat finance
 Capacity Building

11. Roadmap for Panchayats: Providing
services
 Drinking water
 Healthcare services
 Sewerage and solid waste management
 Conservancy services
 Road connectivity and District Rural Roads Plan
 Sustainable Water Management Plan
 Disaster Management Plan
 Natural Resources Management
 Tourism Promotion
 Housing Plan
 Special Component Sub-Plan for SC/ ST

12. Roadmap for Panchayats: Capacity
Building
 Use of computer software
 GPMS
 IFMS
 Web-based reporting
 Common Service Centre (Tathya Mitra)
 Computerisation of trade registration/ trade licencing/ trade
certificates
 E-transfer of funds
 Decentralised training
 Use of satellite based Llok Siksha Sanchar for capacity
building