Page 380 - DECO502_INDIAN_ECONOMIC_POLICY_ENGLISH

Indian Economic Policy

Notes People’s Participation In Panchayati Raj Activities
For our purpose, people’s participation in the development process means active cooperation and
involvement of the general masses in the process of development administration. People’s active
interest, enthusiasm and cooperation in planning, implementation and evaluation of development
programmes at all levels, particularly at the grass-root level is required. India’s participatory local
self-governance has a feasible and institutional status that can be harnessed to implement people’s
programmes at the grass root. Eventually, local self governance will be the final route of
decentralisation of fund, function and functionaries specially the 29 subject/departments under 73rd
CAA, However, this dream of local self governance needs informed and responsible decisions at
village level by the electorate in Gram Sabhas. We must not only be aware of the possibility & potential
of PRI’s but should also be very conscious that we have a long way to go to strengthen the PRI’s in
Rural India. It is possible if all of us who are involved in rural development take the building of PRI’s
as a very important tool for developing rural India which constitutes 71% of India’s populations. It
requires active and responsible participation by the Gram Sabha. This is a big challenge in a country
with 34.97% illiterate people and where the literate are either indifferent or driven by vested interests.
In his article, “Good Governance through Transparency” (1999), M. Ariz Ahmed has strongly
advocated the following :
It may be noted that transparency and people’s participation in regulatory and development
administration is very important not only in bridging the gap between the administration and the
public but also in nation-building, by way of reducing the corruption and complaints against the
system. Rural body should not function as machinery but in a humane and purposeful way. Moreover,
the strengthening of democracy in its social and economic aspect has to be attained through the
participation on the part of the people. At the international level, the UNDP framework for Copenhagen
Implementation (1996) outlines the basic goal as sustainable human development, eradication of
poverty, job creation and sustainable livelihood, and environment protection and regeneration and
advancement of women.
Delivery Mechanism at Local Level by Panchayats
To address different aspects of rural poverty, the Government has brought poverty alleviation
programmes. Micro-credit-linked programmes provide a package of services including credit and
subsidy to set up micro-enterprises. Apart from this, the scheme of infrastructure development and
provision of basic services contribute to the well-being of the rural people. For a successful
implementation of these programmes, an appropriate policy framework, adequate funds, and an
effective delivery mechanism is needed. Further, an effective delivery system has to ensure people’s
participation at various stages of the formulation and implementation of the programmes, transparency
in the operation of the schemes and adequate monitoring. The following suggestions are made to
improve the qualitative impact of these programmes :
1. Organising the Poor for Greater Participation : Farmers “co-operatives, Manila Mandals and
other institutions should perform intermediary functions like awareness generation, credit
extension, and so on.
2. Unity of Plan and Policy : All over the country, a national plan of action supported by national,
regional and block level policies should be evolved and adhered to uniformly.
3. Emphasis on Coordination Rather than Control : The PRIs should report their progress and
Central/State level co-ordinators should use this feedback to analyse the problems/short
comings to suggest necessary policy-changes which means the flow of information should be
two-ways.
4. Schemes to Originate from PRIs and not State/Centre : The PRIs should be sufficiently equipped
to collect their own database, analyse their problems and priorities and formulate their own
schemes and programmes to develop their areas.
5. Simplification of Procedures/Norms : We should make project planning more scientific and
simplified, properly understood and implemented at GP level. Excessive paper work in the
name of monitoring should be avoided because it alienates the elected representatives and

374 LOVELY PROFESSIONAL UNIVERSITY