Devolution of Power and Participation at Panchayat Raj Institutions: A Special Reference to Shri Mani Shankar Aiyar Committee Report
| Author | Rajni Kumari |
| Published date | 01 January 2015 |
| Date | 01 January 2015 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1177/0019556120150113 |
| Subject Matter | Article |
DEVOLUTION
OF
POWER
AND PARTICIPATION AT
PANCHAYAT
RAJ
INSTITUTIONS:
A SPECIAL REFERENCE
TO
SHRI
MANI
SHANKARAIYAR
COMMITTEE
REPORT
RAJNI KUMARI
Panchayat Raj Institutions (PRis) in India have been given
the Constitutional status under the 73rd amendment to the
Constitution in 1992. Since then better functioning
of
this
institution is one
of
the most important consequences
for
this
mechanism
of
democratic devolution
of
the powers which
this institution was made for. Under this imperative, the
Government
of
India has established number
of
specialised
committees to submit recommendations
for
proper functioning
of
PRis in the country. One
of
such efforts is the formation
of
the Mani Shankar Aiyar Committee. This article reviews the
recommendations made by the Committee
for
better functioning
of
the PRis in India. Since the article has been written with
special reference
to
the committee, it does not carry much wider
survey
of
the literature. The Committee has done an intensive
study containing four volumes, about various aspects
of
the
PRls. This article, however, analyses only one aspect, i.e., the
section on devolution
of
powers
in
PRis.
INTRODUCTION
THE EXPERIENCE
of
Panchayat Raj Institutions even twenty years after
having constitutional status through
73rd
amendment suggests that they
have not emerged as genuine institutions for decentralised local self-
govemance. The Government
of
India is trying to find out its drawbacks
through a number
of
committees, workshops and seminars, etc., to ensure
better functioning
by
adequate funds, proper power devolution mechanism
and increased participation
of
the people, etc. One
of
such efforts, was
the constitution
of
an expert committee under the chairmanship
of
Shri
Mani Shankar Aiyar in the Ministry
of
Panchayat Raj on August 27, 2012,
which has submitted its report on April 24, 2013 entitled Towards Holistic
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