Local Self-government: Rural and Urban Administration Chapter Notes | Footprints Class 7: Book Solutions, Notes & Worksheets PDF Download

Introduction

In India, the government operates at three levels: central, state, and local. Local self-government is crucial for local communities as it allows them to recognize and address their issues more effectively. This form of government functions at the grassroots level, aiming to identify local problems and provide essential services to the people in villages, towns, and cities.

Key Points about Local Self-Government

• Local self-government operates at two levels: rural and urban.
• In rural areas, it follows the Panchayati Raj system, which consists of Zila Parishad, Block or Panchayat Samiti, and Gram Panchayat.
• Urban areas are managed by Municipal Corporations, Municipalities or Municipal Councils, and City Councils.

Importance of Local Self-Government

• Local residents are best equipped to understand and solve their issues when they actively participate in local governance.
• Involving locals in decision-making fosters cooperation and engagement in the governance process.
• Elected representatives gain valuable training and experience in administration through local self-government.
• Local self-government eases the burden on central and state governments by bridging the gap between the people and higher government authorities. 

Rural Local Self-Government: The Panchayati Raj System

In rural areas, there is a system of local self-government called Panchayati Raj. It's organized in three levels: Gram Panchayat at the village level, Block Samiti or Panchayat Samiti at the block level, and Zila Parishad at the district level. Together, these bodies address local needs and issues in rural regions.
Key Points:

• Gram Panchayat: The village-level governing body in the Panchayati Raj system.
• Block Samiti or Panchayat Samiti: The middle-level body at the block level.
• Zila Parishad: The highest-level body at the district level.
• Gram Sabha: The foundation of the three-tier Panchayati Raj system.
• Panchayat: A group of respected elders or panchas in a village, historically responsible for village affairs and dispute resolution.
• Democracy and Development: Panchayats play a crucial role in teaching democracy and fostering community development, initiative, self-reliance, and participation among villagers.

Structure of a Gram Panchayat

In villages, there are groups that help make decisions and manage things. One such group is the Gram Panchayat. Let's understand how it works.

• Gram Sabha: The Gram Sabha is like a village meeting where all adult men and women over 18 years old come together. They make budgets, check accounts, and plan for the village's future. They also supervise the Gram Panchayat.
• Gram Panchayat: This is a group elected by the Gram Sabha. It includes members from different backgrounds, with special seats for women and certain communities. The head of this group is called the Pradhan or Sarpanch.
• Panchayat Samitis at the Intermediate Level: Sometimes, problems are too big for just one village to handle. Several villages join together to form a Panchayat Samiti, which looks after the needs of many villages together.
• Zila Parishad at the District Level: The Zila Parishad is the highest level in this system. It works at the district level and is elected by the people. It operates for about five years.

Functions of Panchayati Raj Institutions

Panchayati Raj Institutions have various important jobs they do to help villages and towns.
Some of the main things they do are:

• Make plans and ideas to help the village or town grow economically.
• Support projects that make things fairer for everyone in the community.
• Keep records of births and deaths and set up places for child and mother care.
• Build and fix roads, tanks, and wells in the village.
• Ensure clean drinking water and street lighting.
• Take care of public health and sanitation.
• Run hospitals, fairs, and markets.
• Organize fun and entertainment events for everyone.

Swachh Bharat Abhiyan (Clean India Mission)

• The Swachh Bharat Abhiyan is a big effort by the Indian government to make the country cleaner. It started in 2014 and involves people from cities and villages working together.
• In villages, the focus is on keeping things clean by stopping open defecation and managing waste well. In cities, the plan is to build public toilets, collect waste from homes, and turn waste into useful things like energy and compost.
• People from all over India are helping with this mission. For example, a school in Guwahati asks students to bring clean plastic as school fees. In Bengaluru, there is a place where you can learn about composting. A homemaker in Nashik makes dolls from old newspapers. Everyone can play a part in making India cleaner.

Women and Panchayat

Women in India have been given more representation in Gram Panchayats since the 1990s. In 1993, it was decided that 33% of seats should be reserved for women in Panchayati Raj Institutions. Many villages have a woman as Sarpanch. The Panchayati Raj system has helped in empowering women in villages.

Maintenance of Land Records

The maintenance of land records is very important at the village level. The land record keeper, also known as patwari, is a government official in rural areas who maintains records of land ownership and tilling. Each patwari is responsible for a group of villages. The document showing the owner's name according to the patwari's records is called 'fard'.

• The patwari, also known as lekhpal, kanungo, karamchari, or village officer, maintains land records.
• The tehsildar or revenue officer is another important officer who oversees land disputes and ensures proper maintenance of land records and collection of revenue. Tehsildars work under the District Collector.
• The District Collector or Deputy Commissioner supervises the maintenance of land records and revenue collection in a district. Districts are divided into subdivisions and further into tehsils for smooth functioning.

Urban Local Self-Government

Urban administration in India is carried out by urban local bodies which are set up based on the size of a town or city. There are three main types of urban local self-governing bodies as per the 74th Amendment Act of the Indian Constitution (1992):

• Municipal Corporation (Nagar Nigam)
• Municipal Council/Municipality (Nagar Palika)
• City Council (Nagar Panchayat)

Municipalities or Municipal Councils

• Municipal Councils or Municipalities operate in small cities and towns that are divided into wards. 
• Members of the Municipal Council elect a Chairman among themselves, and various committees like the Education Committee and Public Health Committee are formed to manage different aspects.

City Councils

• City Councils or Nagar Panchayats are established to govern areas transitioning from rural to urban zones. 
• These areas have unique needs that don't fit entirely into rural or urban categories.

Functions of Urban Local Bodies

• Obligatory functions of urban local bodies include:
  • Providing water supply
  • Constructing and maintaining roads, streets, bridges, and public works
  • Managing street lighting, drainage, and garbage collection
  • Preventing and controlling epidemics
• Additionally, urban local bodies can perform discretionary functions such as building rescue homes, orphanages, and housing for low-income groups, as well as providing treatment facilities.
• Water supply is crucial for both rural and urban areas. While rural areas rely on sources like rivers and wells, urban areas need well-maintained water supply systems with clean, drinkable water. Municipal bodies ensure this by setting up water filtration plants and extensive pipelines.

Municipal Corporations

• Municipal Corporations are present in big cities with populations exceeding 10 lakhs. Examples include Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, and Ahmedabad. These Corporations oversee the development of cities and towns.
• The members of the Municipal Corporation are elected by adult citizens for a five-year term. The Corporation is divided into wards for elections. The Municipal Corporation is led by a Municipal Commissioner or Chief Executive Officer appointed by the state government, responsible for ensuring Corporation decisions are carried out.
• Some important functions of a Municipal Corporation include garbage collection and disposal, drainage maintenance, establishing hospitals and dispensaries, registering births and deaths, and building and maintaining schools at all levels. 

Addressing Citizens' Grievances

• Citizens have multiple avenues to voice their grievances or protests if they are dissatisfied with the government or local civic bodies. In addition to organizing dharnas, individuals can file cases in special courts like the Lok Adalat or approach consumer courts. 
• They can use their Right to Information to request details from public authorities. Citizens may also sign petitions to submit to the Municipal Councillor or write to newspapers to ensure their concerns are addressed.

Case Study: Women Leadership in Panchayati Raj

• Focus on Mamta Devi’s Leadership: The case study highlights Smt. Mamta Devi, a young woman from the marginalized Schedule Caste (SC) community in Sokni Da Kot Panchayat, Dharamshala block, Kangra district, Himachal Pradesh, and her accomplishments as a leader in Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRI).
• Overcoming Patriarchal Norms: Despite the patriarchal and traditional social norms in the region, Mamta Devi succeeded in her role as an elected woman leader in the PRI, showcasing women empowerment and effective leadership.
• Contribution to Panchayat Development: Mamta Devi made significant contributions to the development of her Panchayat, driven by her personal growth, awareness, and training from jobs, combined with a sincere desire to help herself and others.
• Collaboration with NGOs and Government: Her success was also supported by connections with agencies like CORD (NGO) and the government, which helped her prepare for her role as an effective Pradhan.
• Engaging the Community in PRI: Mamta engaged the community in PRI by understanding the PRI processes, issues, and challenges, and taking practical steps to achieve results, particularly in areas like employment, infrastructure development, women mobilization, and livelihood improvement.
• Building Positive Relationships: As Pradhan, she built positive relationships with stakeholders within and outside the Panchayat, including local MLAs, ministers, and corporate entities, ensuring her policies were inclusive.
• Maturity and Problem-Solving Approach: She demonstrated maturity and an active engagement approach in her interactions, using a direct and focused method in problem-solving, bringing the community together despite coming from a poor and marginalized background.
• Advocating for Panchayat Empowerment: Mamta Devi emphasized that the 73rd Constitutional amendments’ intent and spirit can only be realized with strong political will towards Panchayat empowerment, rather than treating them as mere agents for implementing top-down programmes.
• Call for Autonomy and Decentralization: She advocates for prioritizing autonomy and community needs, urging for a change in top-down planning and delayed fund disbursement decisions. She acknowledges some efforts toward decentralization but calls for more to strengthen leadership and efficiency in Panchayati Raj institutions.
• Implications for Stakeholders: Mamta’s experiences, struggles, and challenges offer valuable insights for trainers, stakeholders, and policymakers to further enhance leadership and efficiency in Panchayati Raj institutions across India.

Case Study: Urban Local Self-Government

• Introduction to MDM Scheme: The Mid-day Meal (MDM) Scheme, launched on 15 August 1995, aims to support primary education by increasing enrolment, retention, and attendance, while also improving the nutrition of primary students.
• Role of Central Government: The Central Government aids Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) by providing food grains, reimbursing transportation and cooking costs, helping build kitchen-cum-storage facilities, supplying kitchen equipment, and assisting with management, monitoring, and evaluation.
• State-Level Authority: At the state level, the District Magistrate is the controlling authority, while the Urban Local Body (ULB) serves as the implementing authority for the MDM Scheme.
• Municipality’s Role: The Municipality is responsible for the successful implementation of the MDM Scheme by continuously monitoring various levels, including schools and distributors supplying the grains.
• Monitoring Lapses: There were significant failures in monitoring the stock of rice under the MDM Scheme by the Municipality, leading to the fraudulent misuse of 262.07 tonnes of rice, valued at ₹40.09 lakhs, by a distributor appointed by the Municipality.
• Preventive Measures:
  • Maintenance of Stock Registers: Ensuring that stock registers are maintained by the distributor (agent), schools, and the Municipality.
  • Regular Reconciliation: Regular reconciliation between the records of the agent and the Municipality, as well as the schools, to verify the remaining stock before placing new orders.
  • Regulating Rice Allotment: Assessing the average consumption of food grains and regulating the rice allotment according to actual needs.
  • Physical Verification: Conducting periodic physical verification of the rice stock held by the distributor by the Municipality.
  • Timely Action: Taking timely action to halt further rice orders until the existing stock with the distributor is exhausted.
  • Punitive Measures: Implementing punitive measures such as canceling the distributor’s agency or taking legal action to prevent misuse.

Right to Information Act (RTI), 2005

• The RTI Act empowers citizens by providing access to government information, promoting transparency and accountability.
• It enables citizens to combat corruption, ensuring that democracy functions for the people's benefit.