Capacity Assessment for District Planning in MP

1
Capacity Assessment for District Planning in MP

• Mahila Chetna Manch, Bhopal
• Dr. Uday Jain

2
Madhya Pradesh Three Tier Panchayats Elected
Members - 2005

• Panchayat Designation Total SC ST OBC
  Non-Res.
• ZP President 48 9 12 15
  12
• Member 836 142 222
  197 275
• JP President 313 46
  122 71 74
• Member 6851 1055 1869 1369
  2558
• GP Sarpanch 23051 3360 7917
  4486 7288
• Panch 365778 56852 103247
  66667 139012
• Total 396877 61464
  113389 72805 149219

3
The Law Structure

• Law
• MP Panchayati Raj Adhiniyam 1993
• 15 Amendments between 1993 and 2007
• Structure
• Gram Panchayat (village, group of villages) 10-20
  wards
• Janpad Panchayat (Intermediate Block Level) 10-25
  constituencies
• Zila Panchayat 10-35 constituencies
• MPs, MLAs, represented in Zila Panchayats
• MLAs represented in Janpad Panchayats

4
Functions

• Gram Panchayats Initially 29, and 15 additional
• In 2001 Reduced to 1 and 6 additional
• Preparation of Annual Plans
• Implementation of Development Schemes
• Control over local plans
• Coordination of committees activity
• Reallocation of funds to Gram Sabha
• Gram Sabha- Initially 15 clauses defining powers
  and functions
• In 2001 37 more clauses added
• Identification for schemes for economic
  development
• Long term plans for 10 years
• Other functions similar to local bodies

5
Functions

• Janpad Panchayats Six categories such as IRD,
  Agriculture, Social forestry
• During 1997 13 additional duties were assigned
• Preparation of annual plan, consider and
  consolidation plans received from Gram Panchayats
• Zila Panchayats a list of 14 functions
• Preparation of Annual plan, evaluation and
  monitoring activities of Janpad and Gram
  Panchayats
• Reallocation of funds
• Advise to State Government for development
  activities
• DRDA was merged with Zila Panchayat

6
Meeting of Gram Sabha

• Act revised in 2001, 2004
• Minimum 1 meeting in Jan., Apr., July, Oct.
• If necessary additional meetings
• Presence of 1/10 of the members are 500 members
  constitute quorum
• Held at HQs of Gram Sabha
• Notice Date, Time, Place, Agenda in prescribed
  form
• Right to inspect the records place in GS meeting
• Attendance register in prescribed form
• Minutes book in prescribed from
• Presence of Government Officers for suitable
  arrangement

7
Budget and Annual Accounts

• Gram Panchayats to prepare annual budget
• Standing committees will initiate and submit
  annual programmes
• Janpad Panchayat will prepare a statement of
  funds likely to be receive from various
  departments
• JP will consider and consolidate budget estimates
  received from GPs and send to ZP
• Zila Panchayats will consolidate budget.

8
Plan

• The General Administrative Committee of ZP will
  inform availability of funds
• Panchayat Standing Committee will prepare draft
  vision plan, work plan.
• Gram Sabha/Ward Sabha Meeting
• Standing Committee will consider suggestions.
• Finalised in general body meeting of the GS
• Janpad Panchayat meeting Finalise Plan
• Zila Panchayat to integrate plans and send to DPC
• DPC will integrate it to district plan.

9
Contd..

• Report of Expert Committee appointed by Ministry
  of Panchayat Raj, GOI.
• 11th Five Year Plan decentralize planning has to
  begin.
• The State Planning Board, GOMP provided
  guidelines (circular to Collector Member
  District Planning Committee) discussed in
  workshop at Bhopal.
• Circular perhaps not issued.

10
Devolution of Powers in M.P.

• During 1996 the govt. issued orders for transfer
  of work and staff and budgets to panchayats.
• As such works of 29 deptts. And the budget under
  demand no. 15, 80, 82 was placed at the
  discretion of panchayat institutions.
• This has so far not implemented.

11
Special Features of PRI in M.P.

• Grama Sabha recognized as a legal entity.
• Gram Swaraj Gram Sabha will have a village
  fund, control over GP, natural resources and
  institutions, beneficiaries of the different
  schemes.
• Financial decentralization 2.91 of the total
  revenue of the state for panchayats.
• Panchayats as decision making body within the
  overall control and management of the village
  communities.
• Participative governance - Gram Nirman and Gram
  Vikas Committee and Panchayat and Gram Sabha will
  participate in planning, process.
• The role of govt. is as a facilitator.

12
The Present Study

• Aims- To assess the capacity of panchayat for
  decentralized planning.
• Capacity - includes the existing set up and
  efforts of panchayats at all the levels.
• Infrastructure and financial support system.
• Skills for the activities in which panchayats are
  engaged in.
• The vision of development at the mind set up the
  panchayats, govt. officers and gram sabha
  members.
• Location- Distt. Betul, Janpad Shahpur,
  GP-Bhoura, Munda and Kundi.
• Bhoura 4 villages, Munda 4 villages and Kundi
  6 villages.

13
Janpad Panchayat Shahpur, Distt. Betul

• No.of Gram Panchayats 40
• Total No.of villages 133
• No.of deserted villages 07
• Forest village 16
• Population 78,415
• Sex ratio 965
• Literacy rate 66.87

14
Methodology

• Desk review
• Collection of the copy of budgets for three
  preceding years from all the level of panchayts.
• A questionnaire containing items for factual
  information of panchayats including the vision
  and role.
• Focus group discussions in two villages of two
  GPs.
• Meeting with the officers of the departments and
  CEO, Zila Panchayat.
• Interviews with Collectors, CEO Zila Janapad
  Panchayats.

15
Observations

• NREGP funds are directly transferred to GP
• Some funds from 12th Finance Commission for basic
  needs to ZP.
• The budget of 3 years show that funds were
  utilized in
• JRY, Indira Awas, EGY, Pension, Hand pump, Mahila
  Welfare Scheme, Electricity, Road repair.
• Bhoura Panchayat excelled in taking advantage of
  all the above mentioned scheme.
• JP budget shows National Family Welfare, Oldage
  pension, Food for work, Indira Awas, DPAP,
  Sanitation Programme, Scholarship, Maternity
  benefit, Employment Guarantee Scheme.
• ZP budget includes all the schemes and non-plan
  heads.

16
Focus Group Discussions

• Other deptts. Funds/schemes are not seen in GP
  budget.
• Most of the time the Sarpanch Secretary are
  busy in keeping the records of activities and
  payments to workers.
• Sarpanch, Panch, Secretaries do not have any
  vision about the future development of villages.
• Devolution of powers a perspective plan has
  been prepared for NREGA. The other deptts.
  Informed no role of GP in their duties and
  budget.
• The meetings of GS are held but only in
  ceremonial meetings the required quorum can be
  observed.

17
Contd.

• All the proposals passed in a year related to
  construction, BPL list, pension cases, janani
  yojna, antoday, mid day meals.
• Work completed in panchayats Kapildhara,
  plantation, million well scheme, stop dam etc.
• Problems highlighted drinking water,
  electricity.
• No idea of generating income except request for
  enhancement for EGS to 200 days in place of 100
  days.
• Views and Awareness of GS Members only
  concerned with employment.

18
Contd.

• Office bearers not involved or aware of plan
  exercise as visualized.
• They also prepare work budget based on available
  funds indicated by JP.
• The available funds are usually above 10 of last
  year plan.
• Exercise done for NREGA perspective plan through
  external consultant.

19
The Gaps

• Gram Panchayats only as agency of the government
  to carry out development activities.
• The top-down mind set of the officials
• Sarpanch and Secretary are busy in NREGA, BPL
  list, old age pension, family cards.
• Norms, conditions of scheme create problems in
  implementing schemes. Gram Panchayat not final
  authority for any of the above programmes and
  face reactions of public.
• Gram Sabha is only for namesake, as by and large
  very few members attend and those who attend only
  sign without any information on what transpired
  in the meeting.

20
Contd.

• Gram Panchayats fails to mobilize members to
  participate in Gram Sabha.
• Members of GS are busy in their day-to-day
  livelihood activities and/or not interested in
  Gram Sabha activities.
• To accomplish the varied functions assigned to
  Gram Panchayat and Gram Sabha adequate staff not
  available. It is futile to expect advance
  planning for development and social justice with
  the present available GP staff.
• The Gram Panchayats are engaged in construction,
  plantation and other wage labour activities and
  do not have any vision for basic human
  development indicators.

21
Contd.

• The existing Gram Panchayat level staff lack
  skills for keeping different records and
  particularly the framing budget in prescribed
  formats. They urgently need training.
• The persons serving as Secretaries in Gram
  Panchayt are not adequately qualified and trained
  for grasping, rules, procedures, norms, and
  planning.
• Frequent changes in Panchayat Act have not
  allowed the stakeholders to keep pace with the
  changes.

22
Contd.

• The Panchayat Act has become so complex that it
  needs legal literacy to understand adequately the
  provisions/demands/ powers/ duties described in
  different sections of the Act.
• Devolution of powers is half-heartedly done. The
  imposition of programmes from central and state
  government do not leave much space at the grass
  root level to initiate activities as per village
  needs.

23
Contd.

• The involvement of civil society for capacity
  enhancement, mobilization of community and
  attitudinal change of the stakeholders are the
  needs of the day.
• Powers/duties of Gram Sabha and Gram Panchayats
  together need revision to avoid overlapping and
  to reduce workload - e.g. budget making for GP
  GS.
• Training Programme For the village youth of
  specified education level may be selected who can
  be associated with group of NGO, can do this work
  which can be examined by prescribed agency.