Case3-January-2014

More powers should be vested on Panchayats

Mr.Singarayar, Program Leader, Panchayat and CALL program has a more than three decades long carrier in development sector. His rich grassroots experience and in depth knowledge about the local governance is revealed in this interview on functioning of the local governance system in our country. He perceives that panchayats can definitely play a crucial role in development of the country if more powers are vested on them. He also is confident that women panchayat leaders can prove very effective in transforming the local governance, provided they are sufficiently trained. ‘Create belief that you are working for community Then the community will listen to you’

Local Governance is our heritage. Panchayat raj institutions in India have the history of more than 2000 years. From Vedic period – Saba / Smithy system onwards it has great significance in village administration. In the period of Vijayanagar kingdom, the introduction of “Maniyam” system for tax collection in village governance has led to centralization of power. Then, slowly our native knowledge in village governance started to deteriorate. In the initial phase of English government, some initiations were taken on revitalizing the local self-governance system. But, it doesn’t allowed common people to participate. In the mean time, our father of nation, Gandhi was insisting the importance of local self-government throughout his life. But after independence, the concept of Panchayat raj institution (PRI) was given very less importance in the constitution. After a long struggle, in 1992, the rural local self-government was constitutionally approved by 73rd Amendment.

DHAN Foundation launched the Panchayat Programme during the year 2003 to strengthen the local governance was experimental initially in 25 panchayats of seven blocks in five districts. The goal of the program is to bring grassroots democracy in Panchayat raj institutions for development of poor and weaker section, ensuring social justice, attaining direct democracy in Panchayat Raj System and making economically self sustainable panchayats. To ensure the above activities like strengthening the panchayat forum meetings, capacity building to elected representatives of local governance, microplanning and implementation, panchayat education program through the course Diploma in panchayat management, updating voter list, facilitating microjustice through panchayats and policy advocacy were done through the program.

Recently the project “Mainstreaming Gender Rights in Leadership at Panchayat Raj Institutions (M-GRIP)” has been implemented with support of European Union (EU) . The over-all objective was “To ensure rights of women leaders in village Panchayat in practice and enable women leaders to perform and fight for gender equality”.

Specific objectives of the project:

• To build specific skill sets to women leaders in village Panchayats to perform on their own and execute their rights.
• To create gender responsive environment at Panchayat level, at block level and District administration level to address issues related to women rights.
• To build network of women leaders at block and district level to sustain gender equity and work on women rights.

You have pursued your carrier in Development Sector? What motivated you towards this sector?

My entry into development sector was accidental, and not out of passion. I entered the sector out of necessity on my look for a job, and landed in Association of Sarva Seva Farms (ASSEFA), an organization rooted in Gandhian principles. My attitude and character got shaped during a year long training period there. Though I got a very mean salary of 300/month on my fist job, I derived immense satisfaction while working with the grassroots community. Later I joined DHAN Foundation, which provided me a greater platform to work for the deprived and gradually I developed a passion for the job. The opportunity to work closely with grassroots people to enable, empower and relieve them from clutches of poverty, the scope for freedom, experimentation and exploration the development work offers and the enabling institutional environment which made me lead a dignified life are the factors which still remain as a source of motivation. I personally feel that I am leading a meaningful, content and happy life

1. You are with DHAN Foundation from its early years? What you feel is the strength of the organization? What made it grow leaps and bounds?
   Being in this field for more than thirty decades, I have personal knowledge about more than fifty and more developmental organizations in this country. Majority of those developmental organizations are family oriented, having their own family members in their board and acting with vested interest. DHAN, stands apart from them in having many desirable traits. Strong grassroots field work, respecting the professionals and nurturing them, recognition to hard work and talent, relatively non-hierarchical situation in the organization, committed human resource and above all leadership style with long term vision and clarity are the strengths of DHAN. Collective leadership functioning in the organization has enabled grooming of many leaders in the organization and as well as in the people institutions promoted by it. DHAN is wholly committed for the community and society and it is this commitment that made it grow leaps and bounds.
2. What is your opinion on the functioning of the Panchayat system in India?
   To be frank, the experience has been very bitter. The panchayat system was perceived to function as the third layer of government at grassroots level, apart from the state and central government and the 73rd constitutional amendment paved way for it. The then prime minister Honorable Mr.Rajiv Gandhi was very keen in implementing this. Ironically apart from states like Kerala, West Bengal, Madhyapradesh and to some extent Karnataka, this third layer of government is either dysfunctional or non functional. Since it was mandated by the constitution, it’s operated for namesake. But India is the soil of grassroots democracy and this panchayat system of governance existed from time immemorial informally. But their role got reduced gradually. After the 73rd amendment of the constitution state governments were forced to formulate a Panchayat act based on the recommendations and a year time was given for the same. But the Tamil Nadu government did not take any steps and only during the last minute framed the ‘The Tamil Nadu Panchayat act’ 93-94 making minor changes to the already existing Panchayat act of 1958. Ironically the act did not serve the purpose since it got do away with many important rules that was in the earlier act. In nutshell the Panchayat act 93 was no better than the earlier act. No state governments were interested in decentralizing the powers except for the communist ruled states. The panchayats which should function as third layer of government is hence considered only as an extended arm of the state government. The purpose of the 73rd amendment was yet to be realized even after two decades.
3. What’s your suggestion for redefining the panchayatsystem?
   I will list out the suggestions
   • In the 11th Schedule of the constitution under the ‘Directive principles of the state policy’ (section 4 of the constitution) many guidelines were given as suggestion and not enforced, which included allocation of 29 responsibilities for the panchayat right from agricultural development to industrial development. Also devolution of powers for funds, functions and functionaries was suggested. No state government is interested to implement them, but claiming that they are giving powers to panchayats. For e.g., only 10 % of the revenue is given to local bodies is given to local bodies which is not at all sufficient. More power should be vested on panchayats to enable them to function effectively. There is a misconception that the local bodies will misuse the fund, if powers are given. The state government should trust the local bodies, and even if such misuse occurs, they are answerable to the community who can question them directly.
   • Grama sabha system is an effective tool, which can streamline the way in which panchayat functions. But they are not conducted in an effective way, but as an formality. Government should take steps to improve its functioning.
   • There are more than 33,00,000 local body members across the country ( ward member, ward counselor, President, District counselor etc., )and 1,10,000 in the state of Tamil Nadu. Many of them do not know their roles and responsibilities and continue in office for a period of five years. Without proper knowledge of their functions, the execution of any activity will be far from perfection or liable to fail. Intensive capacity building of the elected representatives of panchayats, for a period of six months initially will enable them to execute their duty well.
   • India is the biggest democracy and orientation to its citizens on the third layer of governance and their role and responsibility as a citizen in the local body should be given. The people have opportunity to participate in Grama Sabha and raise their voice.
4. Do women have a say in local governance? Does 33 % allocation for women in Panchayat do make a difference?
   It is not 33 % and the law says it should be above 33 %. As a result there are more than 11,00,000 women representatives in the local bodies, which itself is a tremendous achievement, in the sense that women are always considered as secondary citizens in our country . But we should not get bogged down by numbers. In a patriarchic society, in many a case, the women representatives remain as a shadow of their spouse. The decisions were taken by men on behalf of his counterpart who has been elected as a representative. It doesn’t mean that women are not capable. In my observation women are much capable and much committed in their work than the men. They are much potential to lead. Only the social set up is preventing them from executing their powers in the proper way. If these women representatives are trained and groomed well, they can be a transforming force in the country. Though they are not able to function with full powers, still they have the pride of being the elected representative in their face. Another problem I perceive is the treatment of scheduled caste representatives by the elected representative from other caste. Even if a scheduled caste person got elected as a President, he has an apprehension/restriction to even sit before the other caste person who was elected as the vice president. Such situation should be done away with.
5. Can you brief about the EU project implemented by Panchayat program?
   The project ‘Mainstreaming Gender Rights in Leadership at Panchayat raj institutions ‘ (M-GRIP), aims at empowering the women representatives of local bodies in Madurai, Dindukal, Theni, Cuddalore and Nagaipattinum districts. There are 650 women headed panchayats in the above five districts. The overall objective of the project is “to ensure rights of women leaders in village panchayat and enable women leaders to perform and fight for gender equality. The project focuses to build specific skill sets to women leaders in village panchayats to perform their duty and execute their rights, to create gender responsive environment at panchayat, block and district level to address issues related to women rights and to build network of women leaders at block and district level to sustain gender equity and work on women rights.
   Apart from this the project helps to identify prospective women leaders at panchayat level and setting up of legal aid services at panchayat level and other developmental experimentation at panchayat level.
6. Can you share the progress and impact made by the project so far?
   The elected women representatives were given two sets of training so far, to enable them to execute their role properly. Exposure visits were arranged to good performing panchayats especially to Kerala. The women members were astonished by the way the panchayats functions there and got motivated. Because of these efforts more than 150 women members now could effectively perform their administrative roles and got transformed as good leaders. 1600 ward member, 600 presidents and 6000 SHG women members were trained so far. Apart from this 16 block level networks and four district level networks of women elected panchayat representatives were formed. To ensure justice at micro level legal aid services were provided through 17 micro justice centres established at panchayat level. The project also extended social security by way of insuring 10000 persons in 35 panchayats. Efforts are also taken to strengthen the Grama sabha meetings because of this the effectiveness of Grama sabha meetings got enhanced in 25 % of our project area. The panchayat parliament system was also introduced on trial basis and we are planning to increase it in 50 more panchayats.
7. What is the learning from the project and possible scope of expansion
   The project revealed that women have excellent leadership skills and also more committed in executing their work. The patriarchal environment and lack of knowledge of their powers and responsibilities are the major limiting factors. If these limitations are overcome, the women elected representatives of the local bodies can be a change agent and executioner of the direct democracy in the country. We are operating currently only in five districts in Tamil Nadu and there is ample scope for expanding this project to other districts and states. The learning’s and the insights from the project can be better used while expanding this project to new areas
8. Which contemporary developmental issues are plaguing the country, according to your perception?
   Alcoholism is on increasing trend and no more seen as a taboo, sometimes even encouraged by the government. It is affecting all sections of the society and particularly youth are more vulnerable and remain easy target. The government, both the state and the central should enforce stringent measures to control this growing social evil. The free-bees extended by the government, both the state and central government damage the people attitude, culture and pose a direct threat to democracy. Commercialization of education is so rampant, like never before in history and this will put nation’s development in back foot. Quality education is still out of reach of millions. Corruption is seen at all level right from the bottom to top, spoiling the name of the country across the globe. Above all, agriculture which remained as the back bone of the country is set to back foot, because of importance given to industries and service sector. A bitter experience is waiting for the country, if no appropriate decision is taken to prevent agriculture from declining. Natural resources like water bodies are exploited and not properly maintained, posing a threat to the survival of the future generations. Solution must be made to the above problems to make our country prosper.