In December 1977, the Janata Government appointed a committee on

Panchayati Raj The Panchayat raj is a political system, originating from the Indian subcontinent, found mainly in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Nepal. It is the oldest system of local government in the Indian subcontinent, and historical menti ...

institutions under the chairmanship of

Ashoka Mehta Asoka Mehta (24 October 1911, Bhavnagar – 10 December 1984, New Delhi) was an Indian freedom fighter and socialist politician. He helped organize the socialist wing Congress Socialist Party of the Indian National Congress, along with Rambriksh ...

. The committee submitted its report in August 1978 and made 132 recommendations to revive and strengthen the declining

system in the country. As a result of this report, the Indian states of

Karnataka Karnataka (; ISO: , , also known as Karunāḍu) is a state in the southwestern region of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act. Originally known as Mysore State , it was renamed ''Karnat ...

Andhra Pradesh Andhra Pradesh (, abbr. AP) is a state in the south-eastern coastal region of India. It is the seventh-largest state by area covering an area of and tenth-most populous state with 49,386,799 inhabitants. It is bordered by Telangana to the ...

, and

West Bengal West Bengal (, Bengali: ''Poshchim Bongo'', , abbr. WB) is a state in the eastern portion of India. It is situated along the Bay of Bengal, along with a population of over 91 million inhabitants within an area of . West Bengal is the fourt ...

passed new legislation. However, the flow of politics at the state level did not allow the institutions to develop their own political dynamics.

Recommendations

The main recommendations of the committee were: # The 3-tier system of Panchayati Raj should be replaced by the 2-tier system: Zilla Parishad at the district level, and below it, the Mandal Panchayat consisting of a group of villages covering a population of 15000 to 20000. # A district should be the first point for decentralisation under popular supervision below the state level. # Zila Parishad should be the executive body and made responsible for planning at the district level. # There should be an official participation of political parties at all levels of Panchayat elections. # The Panchayat Raj institutions should have compulsory powers of taxation to mobilise their own financial resources. # There should be a regular social audit by a district level agency and by a committee of legislators to check whether the funds allotted for the vulnerable social and economic groups are actually spent on them. # The state government should not supersede the Panchayat Raj institutions. In case of an imperative supersession, election should be held within 6 months from the date of supersession. # The Nyaya Panchayats should be kept as separate bodies from that of development of the state in consultation with the Chief Election Commissioner should organise and conduct the Panchayati Raj elections. # Development functions should be transferred to the Zila Parishad and all development staff should work under its control and supervision. # The voluntary agencies should play an important role in mobilising the support of the people for Panchayati Raj. # A minister for Panchayati Raj should be appointed in the state council of ministers to look after the affairs of the Panchayati Raj institutions. # Seats for SCs and Sts should be reserved on the basis of their population.1/3rd seats should be reserved for women. # A Constitutional recognition should be accorded to the Panchayati Raj institutions. This would give them the requisite status and an assurance of continuous functioning.

References

Government agencies of India Panchayati raj (India) {{India-gov-stub