1. Concerted efforts towards better accountability and performance of the local bureaucracy need to be pursued. For this purpose, the provisions of the revised Right to Information Bill need to be invoked and implemented particularly with the help of PRIs and other agencies.

2. It is necessary to reconsider the current funding system, with added emphasis being placed on Panchayats generating more internal revenues at all the three levels with matching government funds. External funds with no commitment to raise internal resources could make the PRIs irresponsible/corrupt.

3. The States have to increase the share of transfers to PRIs from State Governments as “untied grants” by (a) consolidating State Schemes with broad Rural Development objectives into “untied grants”, as Kerala has done; (b) making these grants a share of State revenues, (c) explicitly defining (through State legislation) formulae to allocate grants to PRI levels; and (d) transfer collection of village taxes, such as land revenue and

4. Irrigation tax to the PRIs. The formula of transfer should not only give weight age to population and poverty but also to efficiency, for increasing the sources of revenues of PRIs through own and assigned taxes and increasing their capacity to collect.

ADVERTISEMENTS:

5. The focus of decentralization should rest on outcome oriented-ness rather than just measuring the inputs and evaluating the utilization and percentages, thereof. For each tier or LSGI, a Panchayat Metric Grid may be evolved, which becomes an evaluation framework for any LSGI.

6. The quality of work done by Panchayats should be closely monitored by a team of media persons, civil society members, such panchayat leaders from the neighbouring districts who have already done excellent work and stakeholders. Based on these reports, the panchayats should be graded and future funds linked with this grade.

7. Strengthening financial management and audit procedures will also augment the accountability of the local bodies, their standing committees and peoples’ representatives as well as to Government.

8. Consultations may be held with State Governments to enact and implement PESA uniformly across all the nine States, in conformity with the Central Act, with the requisite IEC activities in order to create greater awareness and understanding.

ADVERTISEMENTS:

9. In the structure of Gram Panchayats, Taluka Panchayats and Zilla Panchayats, there is a disconnect between the Gram Panchayat President and Taluka Panchayat; there ought to be a system of representation of Gram Panchayat Presidents in the Taluka Panchayat with direct election of the Taluka Panchayat President. A similar system ought to be in place for the Zilla Panchayats as well.

10. Gender Empowerment:- States may take up measures such as the provision of Women Component Plans in the budgets of the PRIs, linkages with Self Help Groups (SHGs), encouragement to political parties to put up women candidates and opportunity to women to serve a full term (when they are elected to posts in the PR system), Mahila Sabhas (or equivalent) to facilitate womens concerns and priorities being raised in meetings of Gram Sabhas and Ward Sabhas (or equivalent sub-Gram Sabha forums) and separate Quorum for women’s’ participation in Gram Sabhas and sub-Gram Sabha foray.

11. The State Government should put in place and implement a comprehensive training and capacity building programme for elected representatives of the local self-government institutions and Panchayati Raj Institutions.

Such training programmes should preferably be completed with universal coverage within one year of the holding of elections to these bodies. The Central Government should facilitate and incentivize such programmes through monetary and other support. External expertise should be sought liberally for carrying out these training programmes.

ADVERTISEMENTS:

12. The States could be afforded the option of doing away with one of the Panchayat levels, after the implement for efficiency; equity and participation have been studied.

13. Institutional links between Political Decentralisation (in the form of PRIs) and Administrative Decentr “(in the form of User Committees) promoted by external donor projects needs to be strengthened.

14. Panchayats are often too large; the Kerala Panchayats cover about 23,000 people and the Orissa West Bengal Panchayats some 15 to 20 villages. Smaller bodies need to be formed for operational purposes.

15. It is suggested that for each function of the Gram Panchayat, the Gram Sabha be a forum where – can volunteer or be selected to be part of the Committee looking after a specific function, e.g. MDM, FFW, Health, Anganwadi, lights, water etc. A member of the Gram Panchayat can be identified for of these Committees for good quality service delivery leading to development and excellence.