PANCHAYATI RAJ
- Panchayats were given Constitutional status through 73rd Constitutional Amendment which became law on 24th April, 1993.
- This Constitutional Amendment has inserted Part IX which sets out mandatory provisions regarding structure, composition and election to Panchayats.
- This Article provides for:-
- Constitution of Gram Sabha or village assembly;
- a three tier Panchayati Raj structure with Panchayats at village, intermediate and district level (except in States with population less than 20 lakh, where there may be two tiers of Panchayats);
- a five year term for Panchayats and conduct of elections under the supervision and control of State Election Commission;
- one third reservation for women and reservation for SCs and STs in proportion to their population;
- constitution of State Finance Commissions to recommend distribution of resources between the State and Panchayats;
- constitution of District Planning Committees (DPCS) to consolidate plans of rural and urban governments in the district etc.
- The Constitution lists 29 subjects in the Eleventh Schedule which are suggested for devolution to Panchayats. These include agriculture, rural, housing, drinking water, roads, women & child development, education, health, poverty alleviation etc.
BACKWARD REGIONS GRANT FUND
- The BRGF programme is designed to redress regional imbalances in development.
- The fund provides financial resources for supplementing and coverging existing developmental inflows into 272 identified districts so as to:— Bridge critical gaps in local infrastructure not being adequately met through existing inflows; strengthen Panchayat and Municipal level governance with more appropriate capacity building to reflect local felt needs; provide professional support to local bodies for planning, implementation and monitoring of their plans and improve the performance and delivery of critical functions assigned to Panchayats.
- Panchayats and urban local bodies are responsible for the planning, implementation and monitoring of the works taken up under BRGF.