Decentralized Governance

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Decentralized Governance Panchayati Raj
Scenario In Rajasthan Presentation for ZP Members
of Goa 20.1.10 Dr. Anita
Professor Coordinator (PRI-Training)
Indira Gandhi Panchayati Raj
Gramin Vikas Sansthan
(SIRD-Rajasthan), Jaipur
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• Human Resource Profile of
  Panchayati Raj Institutions in Rajasthan
• Zila Pramukhs (District Chiefs) 33(w.e.f. from
  2010 Elections)
• Zila Parishad Members - 1013
• Pradhans (Block Chiefs) - 248
• Panchayat Samiti Members - 5273
• Sarpanches (Village Panchayat Chiefs) - 9166
• Ward Panches 1,05,000 (appx.)
• Total No. of Elected Representatives 1,20,500
  (appx.)
• Total No. of Elected Women Representatives 50
  by Reservation 5-10 likely to contest against
  general seats

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• 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1993 Salient
  Features Mandatory Provisions
• Continuity of PRIs Elections every 5 years
• Uniformity 3 tier structure across the
  country
• Reservations One third for Women at all levels
  of PRIs and in proportion to population for SC
  ST
• Democratic Decentralization Gram Sabha
  recognized as the village parliament to plan,
  prioritize, implement, audit and review all
  development activities
• Separate State-Election and Finance Commissions

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• Discretionary Provisions of the Amendment
• Powers and Authority Defined for PRIs
  as per Article 243(G)
• Preparation of Plans for Economic Development
  and Social Justice
• Implementation of Schemes for Economic
  Development and Social Justice, as may be
  entrusted to them by the state government as
  per the XI Schedule (29 Subjects)

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• Positive Action Taken
  Status of
  Decentralization Processes in Rajasthan
• 3 Tier PRI Set up in place Electoral
  Devolution has happened !
• Time bound 5 yrly. elections held in 1995, 2000
  2005 fresh Elections in process Jan-Feb.
  2010
• Political Reservations for SC, ST, OBC in
  proportion to population and 1/3rd Reservation
  for Women, introduced since 1995- making the
  excluded- a majority voice! With 2010 elections,
  reservation for women has been raised to 50 at
  all levels
• Now amended Act would enable 50 Reservation for
  Women w.e.f. 2010- feminization of Decentralized
  Governance bound to lead to greater humanization
  of development!
• State Election Finance Commns. set up in
  tandem with the electoral cycle of PRIs
• Rajasthan Panchayati Raj Act, 1994 and Rules,
  1996 in force with Schedule- I, II III
  respectively- laying down powers functions of
  Gram Panchayats, Panchayat Samities and Zila
  Parishads- subject to directions, specified by
  the State Govt. from time to time
• Panchayat Extension over Scheduled Areas Act
  (PESA) enforced in Rajasthan w.e.f. June, 1999
  but framing of Rules still pending hence a
  paper law

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• Positive Action Taken
  Status of Decentralization Processes in
  Rajasthan
• Gram Sabhas being held since 1995 initially on
  biannual basis w.e.f. 2001 onwards on quarterly
  basis
• Ward Sabhas being held since 2000, Chaired by
  Ward Panch after the 2000 Amendment of
  Rajasthans Panchayati Raj Act making Ward
  (average population size-300-500) as the pivot
  for development planning review
• Right to Information and Social Audit special
  integral features of Rajasthan Panchayati Raj Act
  Rules
• District Planning Committees formed as per 74th
  Constnal. Amendment, under the Chairpersonship of
  Zila Pramukh, to facilitate the process of
  Decentralized Planning, leading to District
  Plans, feeding into State Plan (Started from 11th
  Plan onwards- 2007)
• Six Standing Committees at all levels of PRIs
  are elected since 2000, for facilitating
  inclusive governance- participatory monitoring
  and supervision of devolved subjects
• Special Mission and Task Force on Panchayati Raj
  set up by Govt. of Rajasthan headed by the Chief
  Minister Chief Secretary, respectively

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Perspective Progress of PRI-Cell Systematic
Approach to Training of PRIs 2000 AD Onwards

TNA- 2000, 2004 2009
Decentralized Training Cycle of PRIs Rajasthan
TMD 2000, 2002,2005, 2007(BRGF),
2008(Ref.Trg.SC,ST,?) 2009 (Ref. Trg. for
all) 2010- (Orientation Trg., for all PRIs after
next elections) in Progress
TIA- 2004 under SDC supported PRISMO
TPRIs- 2002, 2003, 2005, 2007(BRGF),
2008 (Ref. Trg. SC,ST,?) 2009 (Ref. Trg. for
all) next Orientation Campaign in 2010
TOT-2000, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2008,
2009 next in 2010
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• Positive Action Taken
  
  Status of Decentralization Processes in Rajasthan
• 16 out of 29 Subject-specific functions devolved
  to PRIs, 2000 onwards related to 18
  departments however, incomplete devolution,
  whereby functions have been transferred, without
  transfer of concerned functionaries and funds
• Training for All Goal of National Training
  Policy achieved for PRI Sector in 2002(for EWRs),
  2003 2005- for all PRIs, again in 2007(BRGF
  Distts.) 2008-09 Refresher PRI-trainings-
  making Rajasthan emerge as a pioneering state in
  terms of Capacity Building of PRIs in a cascade
  mode of Decentralized Trainings

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Activity Mapping The exercise on the division
of functional responsibilities between the three
tiers of the Panchayati Raj System on the basis
of activity mapping has been completed for the
following 18 departments- I.C.D.S., Social
Welfare, Agriculture, Soil- Conservation,
P.H.E.D., M.D.M- Education- Elementary/
Secondary, Animal Husbandry, Fisheries, Health
and Family Welfare, Irrigation, Forest, Industry,
Food, Tourism, P.W.D., Energy Technical
Education.
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Activities transferred as per the list of 29
Subjects of 11th Schedule to PRIs in
Rajasthan Some of the key transferred
activities and staff are as under-  Ø  Agricultu
re/Agriculture Extension activities along with
staff, up to the level of Asstt. Director
transferred to Zila Parishad / Panchayat
Samiti. Ø   Watershed Soil Conservation
department brought under the control of RD PR
from Agriculture Department. Ø Irrigation Tanks
up to 300 hec. Capacity transferred to Panchayat
Samities along with supporting staff. Ø  Fisheries
Tanks of "D" category transferred to Panchayats,
"C" category to Panchayat Samities "B" Category
to Zila Parishads along with supporting staff up
to level of Asstt. Director in Zila
Parishad. Ø  Activities relating to Social
Forestry, Farm Forestry Minor Forest Produce
transferred to Panchayat Samities along with
supporting staff up to district level. Ø   Zila
Parishad will decide the names of villages- as
per allocation by State Government for rural
electrification.
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• Activities transferred as per the list of
  29 Subjects (Contd)
• Ø  Gram Panchayats have been authorised to take
  up the work relating to distribution of
  electricity bills, if desired.
• Ø Maintenance of Rural Haats transferred to Gram
  Panchayats from Agriculture Department.
• Ø     District Women Development Agency brought
  under Zila Parishads.
• Ø  Dy. Director, DWCD brought under Zila Parishad
  and CDPOs under Panchayat Samiti along with
  supporting staff activities.
• Ø  Activities implemented by District Social
  Welfare Officer transferred to Zila Parishad
  along with Officers up to level of Dy. Director /
  Asstt. Director together with supporting staff.
• Ø   List of beneficiaries selected under Primer
  Minister Employment Scheme (PMRY) will be
  approved by Zila Parishad.
• Ø Proposals of Small Scale Industries will be
  discussed in the Standing Committee of Panchayat
  Samities.
• Report received from Cabinet Committee
  constituted to review the functions transferred
  earlier alongwith funds and functionaries to PRIs
  and to recommend measures to strengthen them as
  effective units of Self Governance. Committee's
  report sent to Cabinet Secretariat for approval
  from Cabinet.

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• Main Deficits
  Road Blocks to
  Decentralization in Rajasthan
• Half baked decentralization moves
  responsibilities devolved without any control
  over staff and budgets
• No untied funds devolved to PRIs and untied
  funds to the tune of Rs. 1 crore devolved to DPCs
  from 2008-09- by previous govt. now again
  likely to be stalled
• PESA- enforced in Rajasthan from June, 1999
  Rules still not framed a paper law- only
  electoral devolution has enabled tribal leaders
  to become authorized chairpersons of PRIs in the
  TSP-area
• Line departments resist transfer of staff
  budget control to be devolved to PRIs
• MLA MP-LAD quota schemes anti-PRIs-
  expenditures incurred are as per discretion of
  MLA/MP not responding to Gram Sabha approved
  development plans
• Quorum in respect of Women, SC, ST, OBC
  generally not fulfilled in Ward and Gram Sabhas
  even general quorum fulfilled through
  facipulation

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• Main Deficits
  Road Blocks
  to Decentralization in Rajasthan
• Government functionaries resist Right to
  Information and Social Audit-evolving ways to
  delay/deny access to accountable governance
• Government-NGO and NGO-PRI linkages distrust
  conflict-ridden
• Decentralized planning structures in place but
  bottom-up need-based planning process and
  commensurate fund-flow lacking- esp. as untied
  funds
• Standing Committees, District Planning
  Committee, Ward and Gram Sabhas need to be
  energized made vibrant platforms of democratic
  governance
• Resource constraint in terms of money manpower
  ails all levels of PRIs paralyses local self
  governance

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• Main Deficits
  Road Blocks to
  Decentralization in Rajasthan
• Lack of Political Will to truly empower PRIs-
  both at Central State Govt. levels still
  persists
• Bureaucratic resistance to institutions of local
  self governance
• Low level of education specially at Ward Panch
  level and Women/SC/ST PRI leaders hampers their
  effective functioning
• Low level of honoraria and perks for PRI leaders
  inter-state variations thereof, violate the
  spirit of Equal Remuneration Act, 1976
• Caste and party politics vitiate democratic
  functioning of PRIs
• Village community by and large alienated from
  participating in Ward and Gram Sabhas- on account
  of non-fulfillment of Gram Sabha proposals

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Towards Real Empowerment of PRIs Two Pronged
Strategy Required
Structural Processual
Complete Transfer of Functions, Functionaries Funds w.r.t. devolved subjects- without further delay GO-NGO interface to be strengthened for sustained Capacity Building of PRIs w.r.t. transferred functions, functionaries funds
All Devt. Functionaries to be made accountable to PRIs Gram Sabhas report to respective PRI regularly NGOs/CBOs to provide Planning, IEC technical- support for mobilizing active Ward and Gram Sabhas
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Towards Real Empowerment of PRIs
Structural Processual
Transfer of untied funds to DPCs, PRIs, Gram and Ward Sabhas for operationalizing Local Plans- through an earmarking of funds for each level from Schemes, SFC, CFC-funding Top priority to invest in Capacity Building of PRIs, for mobilizing own income/ resources with community support effective financial management of all funds received i.e. from CFC/CSS/SFC own income
Need to augment staffing pattern of PRIs in proportion to no. of functions transferred Capacity Building of Staff ERs of PRIs at all levels needs to be sustained for effective local governance
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Towards Real Empowerment of PRIs
Structural Processual
To ensure better dividends on investment in Capacity Building of ERs of PRIs, the tenure for rotation of reservation needs to be increased by one more term i.e. giving each ER of reserved category- a ten years tenure After elections SC,ST, OBC Women ERs need to be exposed to basic orientation training, within 3 months of being elected, with a view to instil desired Knowledge Skills in first time entrants in governance
For the non-literate ERs, a special functional literacy campaign needs to be organized immediately after elections, with the support of Literacy Continuing Education Department- now being spearheaded by Sakshar Bharat Mission- to be led by PRIs NGOs/CBOs/NYKs /PRIs need to quickly identify the non-literate category of newly ERs help to link them with an intensive functional literacy campaign in their Block/GP itself, with the help of literacy department dovetailing funding support from Sakshar Bharat funds
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Towards Real Empowerment of PRIs
Structural Processual
For providing continuous hand- holding support to PRIs beyond training, need to establish PRCs (Panchayat Resource Centers) at the block level, with desired experts to be hired- funds already available for this purpose under BRGF Interim Panchayat at the block level to identify hire suitable experts-viz. in areas of Engineering, Accounts-keeping, Micro-Finance, Public Health, Gender Social Scientist etc. for guiding Gram Panchayats on a day to day basis, in the PRC
All Panchayats to be computerized equipped with relevant manpower trained in computerized record keeping providing package of services to village community viz.- payment of water electricity bills, giving copy of land records, birth, marriage death certificates, etc. for a user service charge- in Rajasthan- Rajeev Gandhi e-centres being created in every Gram Panchayat Panchayats to be trained in e-governance linked online with all 3 tiers of PRIs, the state department and the Central Ministry for online access to data, related to progress under various schemes, financial progress, physical progress progress on HDI-indicators
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Thankyou