Panchayati Raj Minister Giriraj Singh while briefing press about achievements of his ministry recently
By Pradeep Kumar Panda
Bhubaneswar, October 25: Sustainable development calls for empowerment of Gram Panchayats. Local economic development is not just about provision of basic needs of individuals but also about people working together to achieve sustainable economic growth and improved lives. Employment and income are needed for prosperity and improved quality of human lives.
This implies creation of more employment in the Gram Panchayats, promotion of entrepreneurship and addition of further opportunities for economic growth. As local governments, Panchayats have key role to play for local economic development in villages of India. This includes efforts to improve economic well-being and quality of life of people by creating livelihoods opportunities and income generation in an equitable manner.
The Constitution of India through the 73rd Amendment, entrusted the States to devolve powers and responsibilities upon Panchayats with respect to preparation of plans for economic development and social justice and implementation of schemes for economic development and social justice in relation to the 29 subjects listed in the Eleventh Schedule.
In this context, out of these 29 matters, some matters such as Small scale industries, including food processing industries; Khadi, village and cottage industries; Technical training and vocational education; Animal husbandry, dairying and poultry; Minor forest produce; Fisheries; Agriculture, including agricultural extension; Markets and fairs; Poverty alleviation programme and Maintenance of community assets are important in which Panchayats can play significant role towards undertaking economic development in their respective areas.
While all of these subjects directly impact local economic development, however, actual devolution of these subjects varies across States. For economic development, skill upgradation and employment generation in their respective areas, It is envisaged that Panchayats work towards maximising production and employment opportunities through agriculture, animal husbandry, pisciculture, and by adoption of best technologies and practices. They can facilitate skill upgradation of local labourers/youth and can take initiatives like developing local markets and related infrastructure; facilitate efficient transportation and market linkages for local agriculture produce.
Necessary support for formation and promotion of Self-help groups, ensuring assured minimum wage employment for poor and the marginalised in the village through MGNREGS and equitable wages for men and women are some more potential roles of Panchayats towards equitable economic development.
Currently, Panchayats are engaged in some economic activities through formulation of Gram Panchayat Development Plans (GPDPs); utilization of grants of Union Finance Commissions for providing basic facilities and MGNERGA for employment and some other central and State sponsored schemes; implementation of e-Gram Swaraj and e-Governance in Panchayats through Core Common Software Applications, developed to address various aspects of Panchayats’ functioning including planning, budgeting, implementation, accounting, monitoring, and delivery of citizen services etc.
It is important that Panchayats are able to optimally utilize their potential and available resources in catering to needs for the economic development in their area. Role of panchayats is pivotal in ensuring inclusive economic development and income generation in their respective Panchayat areas through undertaking various economic activities and converging various resources at their disposal.
There is need to understand the status of involvement of Panchayats in employment generation and income generation in their respective areas, to explore and suggest potential areas of involvement of Panchayats towards ensuring local economic development and employment generation, strengthened role of Panchayats in economic development in equitable manner in their areas within existing frameworks and available resources under various funds, different central and state sponsored schemes, its own revenue sources etc.
Assessment of the perceptions of state governments and officials with regard to role of Panchayats in local economic development and employment generation and understanding of Panchayats with regard to their own roles and responsibilities towards local economic development and employment generation will help in this direction.
There is requirement of mapping the areas and status of devolution to panchayats, both in policy and in practice, that are relevant for involvement of Panchayats in activities related to local economic development, listing out various enabling factors and arrangements made by states for Panchayats to enable them for undertaking economic development activities and mapping the kind and extent of interventions being made by Panchayats to meet the mandate of economic development in their areas.
There is need to identify the challenges being faced by Panchayats in performing their official roes towards employment generation and document successful cases/best practices in respect of economic development and employment generation through Gram Panchayats
Action plan may be prepared for securing inclusive local economic development through employment generation Panchayats that may include activities and interventions of Panchayats towards economic development through increasing opportunity for employment generation for unemployed population. Panchayats can effectively plan for the suggested interventions.
Accordingly planning for resources in terms of funds, functions and functionaries need to be devolved to Panchayats so as to enable them to undertake activities for economic development and employment generation with necessary capacity building for execution of activities for economic development and social justice by local government functionaries. This will result in development of grass root level of rural India.
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