Gram panchayat: Difference between revisions

'''Gram Panchayat''' (English: Village council) is a basic village governing institute in Indian villages. It is a democratic structure at the grass-roots level in India. It is a political institute, acting as [[Cabinet (government)|cabinet]] of the village. The gram-Sabha work as the general body of Gram Panchayat. The members of the Gram panchayat are elected by the Gram Sabha.<ref name="Toppr Panchayati Raj">{{Cite web |title=Panchayati Raj System in India {{!}} Definition, Examples, Diagrams |url=https://www.toppr.com/en-in/content/concept/panchayati-raj-system-in-india-204086 |website=www.toppr.com |language=en |access-date=4 December 2020}}</ref>

There are about 250,000&nbsp;gram panchayats in India.<ref name=Chaturvedi>{{cite book|last1=Chaturvedi|first1=Mahesh Chandra|title=India's waters.|date=2012|publisher=CRC Press|location=Boca Raton, Florida|isbn=978-1439872833|page=74|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=b39UVL6nO_0C&q=how+many+grampanchayats+in+india&pg=PA74|access-date=14 July 2015}}</ref><ref name=scroll>{{cite web |title=Ground Rules |url=http://scroll.in/article/706266/two-village-councils-have-governance-lessons-for-the-rest-of-india |website=[[Scroll.in]] |access-date=4 December 2020}}</ref>

Established in various states of India, the Panchayat Raj system has three tiers: Zila parishad, at the district level; Nagar palika, at the block level; and Gram panchayat, at the village level. Rajasthan was the first state to establish Gram panchayat, Nagur village being the first village where Gram panchayat was established, on 2 October 1959.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Panchayati Raj - History|url=http://www.rajpanchayat.rajasthan.gov.in/en-us/aboutus/history.aspx#:~:text=Th%20e%20system%20later%20came,held%20in%20September|access-date=2020-12-01|website=www.rajpanchayat.rajasthan.gov.in}}</ref>

The failed attempts to deal with local matters at the national level caused, in 1992, the reintroduction of panchayats for their previously used purpose as an organisation for local self-governance.<ref name=DC>{{cite web |last=Sapra |first=Ipsita |title=Living in the villages |url=http://www.dandc.eu/en/article/after-25-years-elected-village-councils-india-democracy-still-needs-be-deepened |website=[[D+C Development and Cooperation]]|department=Rural Democracy |date=February 2013 |access-date=24 April 2015}}</ref>

Gram panchayats are at the lowest level of [[Panchayati raj|panchayat raj institutions]] (PRIs), whose legal authority is the [[Local_self-government_in_India#The_73rd_Constitutional_Amendment_Act|73rd Constitutional Amendment]] of 1992, which is concerned with rural local governments.<ref>{{cite book |authors=Benoy Banerjee; Irfaan Khan; Rajeev Kumar |display-authors=etal |chapter=Chapter Eight: Local Governments |title=India Constitution at Work: Textbook in Political Science for Class XI |url=https://schools.aglasem.com/ncert/ncert-books-class-11-political-science-indian-constitution-at-work-chapter-8/ |date=2006 |website=Aglasem.com |publisher=[[National Council of Educational Research and Training]] |isbn=81-7450-550-4 |access-date=29 August 2020}}</ref>

The gram panchayat is divided into wards and each ward is represented by a Ward Member or Commissioner, also referred to as a Panch or Panchayat Member, who is directly elected by the villagers.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aDoppmCmeqUC&q=sarpanch|title=Citizen Participation in Rural Development|last=Seetharam|first=Mukkavilli|date=1 January 1990|publisher=Mittal Publications|isbn=9788170992271|page=34|language=en}}</ref> The panchayat is chaired by the president of the village, known as a [[Sarpanch]]. The term of the elected representatives is five years. The Secretary of the panchayat is a non-elected representative, appointed by the state government, to oversee panchayat activities.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xKEQxEtNR-AC&q=village%2520ward%2520member&pg=PA117|title=Social Science|publisher=Vk Publications|isbn=9788179732144|page=117|language=en}}</ref>

** 1. Public work and welfare functions, such as maintenance, repair and construction of roads, drains, bridges, and wells.

** 2. Install and maintain street lamps.<ref name="Toppr Panchayati Raj" />

** 2. Provide primary education.  

 

** 1. Construct libraries, marriage halls, etc.  

** 2. Establish and run fair-price shops and cooperative credit societies.  

** 3. Establish of gardens, ponds, and orchards.<ref name="Toppr Panchayati Raj" />