LOCAL SELF GOVERNMENT

 Local self government constitutes an important segment of

administration. It deals with the functions related to local areas.
 It provide good training to citizens for democratic leadership of the
country level in the matters of social , economic , and political
problems.
 They perform good duties like sanitation , water supply , street
lighting , maintenance of local roads , provisions of primary
education , hospitals and dispensaries etc.
 The central or state government cannot perform local functions
properly because they have less time to pay attention to the local
problems.
 So central and state governments delegates many functions to local
self bodies which helps to relieves the central as well as state
governments of a good amount of administrative work and burden.
 Thus by allocating the local functions to local bodies , the people will
take keen interest in them and they will work with more efficiently.
 FUNCTIONS OF LOCAL SELF-GOVERNMENT

 To take care of local health.

To check the spread of diseases.
To arrange the primary education.
Arrange lighting and cleanliness in their areas.
To repair the roads and bridges.
They sanction the house building plants.
They can stop trading in dangerous and harmful drugs.
They arrange libraries , parks , hotels etc.
 SOURCES OF INCOME OF LOCAL BODIES
House tax.
Income from the property of local bodies.
Grants from the state government.
Octroi.
Passengers tax in fairs.
Income from the municipal shops and markets.
 73’ RD AMENDMENT ACT
• The 73’rd Amendment to the constitution enacted in 1992 added a
new part- IX consisting of 16 Articles and the eleventh schedule to
the constitution.
• The 73’rd Amendment envisages the Grama Sabha as the
foundation of the panchayat Raj system to perform the functions
and powers entrusted to it by the state legislatures.
 MAIN FEATURES OF 73’RD AMENDMENT ACT
oCreation of three-tier panchayat Raj structure at the
district(zila), block, and village levels.
oAlmost all posts, at all levels to be filled by direct elections.
oMinimum age for contesting elections to the panchayt Raj
institutions be 21 years.
o1/3’ rd seats are reserved for women.
oReservation for SC/ST are also provided in proportion to their
population.
oThe post of chairman at the district and block levels should be
filled by indirect election.
oState election commission to be set up in each state to conduct
elections to Panchayati Raj institutions.
oThe tenure of Panchayati Raj institution is 5 years, if dissolved
earlier, fresh elections to be held with in 6 months.
 POWERS AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF PANCHAYATS

State legislatures may endow panchayats with such powers and

authority as may be necessary to enable the panchayats to become
institution of local self government at the grassroot level.
 Responsibility may be given to them to prepare plans for economic
development and social justice.
 Schemes of economic development and social justice with regard to
29 matters mentioned in the eleventh schedule .
• Such as
a. Agriculture
b. Primary and secondary education
c. Health and sanitation
d. Drinking water
e. Rural housing
f. The welfare of weaker section etc.
 THREE –TIRE STRUCTURE OF PANCHAYATI RAJ

GRAMA PANCHAYAT
It is a basic village- governing institute in Indian villages and it is a
democratic structure at the grassroot level in India.
Grama Sabha work as the general body of the Grama Panchayat.
The members are elected through democratic election
PANCHAYAT SAMITI (BLOCK PANCHAYAT)
It provides a link between grama panchayat and a zila parishad.
The strength of a panchayat samiti also depends on the
population in a samiti area.
 Panchayat samitis are at the hub of developmental activities.
 They are headed by block development officers
ZILA PARISHAD (JILLA PANCHAYAT)
Zila parishad or district panchayat is the uppermost tier of the
Panchayati Raj system. This institution has some directly elected
members whose number differs from state to state as it is also
based on population.
 The chairperson of a zila parishad is elected indirectly-by and
from amongst the elected members there of.
Zila parishad meetings are conducted once in a month.
Special meetings are also be convened to discuss special matters.
 FUNCTIONS OF PANCHAYATS
Civic functions relating to sanitation, cleaning of public roads,
minor irrigation, public toilets, primary health care, vaccination,
supply of pure drinking water, constructing of public wells, rural
electrification, social health & primary and adult education etc are
the obligatory functions of panchayats.
The optional functions depends on the resources of the
panchayats. They may or may not perform such functions as tree
plantation on roadsides, setting up of breeding centres for cattle,
promotion of agriculture etc.
Preparation of annual development plan of panchayat area,
annual budget, relief in natural calamities, implementation and
monitoring of poverty alleviation programmes are to be
performed by panchayats.
Selection of beneficiaries through Grama Sabha’s, public
distribution system, non- conventional energy sources, biogas
plants have also been given to Grama Panchayats.