Chapter 5

What happens after people elect their

representatives? How are decisions made? Let's
look at how this takes place in rural areas. Here,
Panchayati Raj we look at the Gram Sabha, which is a meeting
where people directly participate and seek
answers from their elected representatives.

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t's a special day today! Everyone's The people of Hardas village are keen
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rushing to get to the Gram Sabha! to find out what their new Panchayat
Do you know why? Because the Gram leaders have planned for the village.
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Sabha is holding its first meeting after

Gram Sabha
the election of the new Gram Panchayat.
The Gram Sabha meeting begins with
The Gram Sabha is a meeting of all the Panchayat President (who is also
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adults who live in the area covered called the Sarpanch) and the members
by a Panchayat. This could be only of the Panchayat (the Panchs)
one village or a few villages. In some
states, as in the example above, a presenting a plan on repairing the road
village meeting is held for each that connects the village to the main
village. Anyone who is 18 years old highway. After this, the discussion
or more and who has the right to vote moves to the subject of water and
is a member of the Gram Sabha. water shortages.
 44 / Social and Political Life
We need to do something more
Every village Panchayat is permanent as groundwater levels seem
divided into wards, i.e. smaller to be going down every year. We're
areas. Each ward elects a using more water than is seeping into
representative who is known as the ground."
the Ward Member (Panch). All
the members of the Gram Sabha Another member, Anwar then tells
also elect a Sarpanch who is the everyone that he has seen ways of
Panchayat President. The Ward conserving water and recharging
Panchs and the Sarpanch form (refilling) it in a village in Maharashtra
the Gram Panchayat. The Gram where he'd once gone to visit his

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Panchayat is elected for five brother. It was called watershed
years. development and he had heard that the

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The Gram Panchayat has a government gave money for this work.
Secretary who is also the
Secretary of the Gram Sabha. In his brother's village people had

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This person is not an elected planted trees, constructed check-dams

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person but is appointed by the and tanks. Everyone thought this was
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government. The Secretary is an interesting idea and the Gram

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responsible for calling the Panchayat was asked to find out about
meeting of the Gram Sabha and it in detail.
Gram Panchayat and keeping a
record of the proceedings.
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1. What is a Gram Sabha?

2. In the meeting of the Gram
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Sabha so far what are the

problems that are being
A villager called Tijia begins the discussed? What sort of solutions
meeting by saying, "The water problem
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are being suggested?

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in Hardas has become very acute. The

hand pump water has gone well below The next item on the agenda for the
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the point up to which the ground has Gram Sabha is the finalisation of the
been drilled. We hardly get any water list of people below the poverty line
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in the taps. Women have to go to the (BPL) which had to be approved by the
Suru river which is 3 k.m. away to get Gram Sabha. As soon as the list is read
water." One of the members suggests out people begin to whisper. "Natwar
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piping water from the Suru and making has just bought a colour T.V. and his
an overhead tank in the village to son has sent him a new motorcycle.
increase the supply. But the others How can he be below the poverty line?"
think that this will be expensive. It's Soorajmal mutters to the person sitting
better, they feel, to deepen the next to him. Saroj says to Sukhi bai
handpumps and clean the wells for this "How did Birju's name get on to the list?
season. Tijia says, "This is not enough. He has so much land. This list should
 Panchayati Raj / 45
The Gram Sabha is a
key factor in making
the Gram Panchayat
play its role and be
responsible. It is the
place where all plans for
the work of the Gram
Panchayat are placed
before the people.
The Gram Sabha
prevents the Panchayat

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from doing wrong things
like misusing money

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or favouring certain
people. It plays an
important role in keeping
an eye on the elected

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representatives and in
making them responsible
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have only poor people. And Om to the persons who

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Prakash is a landless labourer who can elected them.
barely make ends meet, yet his name is
not on the list." "You know that both families says, "Om Prakash's house
Natwar and Birju are friends of was locked when I went there. He may
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Amirchand. Who can counter have gone somewhere to look for work."
Amirchand's power?” Sukhi bai says, The Sarpanch gives instructions that
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"Amirchand was the earlier Zamindar Om Prakash's family income be looked

(landowner) of the village and still has at and if it is less than what has been
control over a lot of land. But we should decided by the government, his name
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get Om Prakash's name put in." should be included in the list.

The Sarpanch (Panchayat Presi-
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1. Was there a problem with the BPL

dent) notices people whispering and list that the Gram Sabha was
asks if anyone has anything to say. finalising? What was this problem?
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Saroj tries to provoke Soorajmal to ask 2. Why do you think Soorajmal kept
about Natwar and Birju. But he keeps quiet even though Saroj asked him to
quiet. Amirchand is sitting in the Gram speak?
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Sabha keeping an eye on everyone. 3. Have you seen any similar

incidents when people are unable to
Then Saroj gets up and says that Om speak for themselves? Why do you
Prakash's name should be in the BPL think that happened and what
list. Others agree that he and his family prevented the person from speaking?
are very poor. The Sarpanch asks how 4. How can the Gram Sabha prevent
his name had been missed out. The the Panchayat from doing what it
teacher who did the survey of BPL likes?
 46 / Social and Political Life
The Gram Panchayat
The work of a Gram Panchayat
The Gram Panchayat meets regularly includes
and one of its main tasks is to
1. The construction and maintenance
implement development programmes
of water sources, roads, drainage,
for all villages that come under it. As school buildings and other
you have seen, the work of the Gram common property resources.
Panchayat has to be approved by the 2. Levying and collecting local taxes.
Gram Sabha. 3. Executing government schemes
related to generating employment
In some states, Gram Sabhas form
in the village.

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committees like construction and
development committees. These Sources of funds for the

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committees include some members of Panchayat
 Collection of taxes on houses,
the Gram Sabha and some from the
market places etc.
Gram Panchayat who work together to

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carry out specific tasks.
 Government scheme funds received

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through various departments of the
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government – through the Janpad
and Zila Panchayats.

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Let's see what the Hardas Gram

Panchayat was able to do.
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Do you remember the options that

were suggested to solve the water
problem in the Gram Sabha of Hardas
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village? When the Hardas Gram

Panchayat held a meeting, this point
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was brought up again by some of the

members (Panchs). This meeting was
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attended by the Sarpanch, Ward

Members (Panchs) and the Secretary.
Gram Panchayat members first
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discussed the suggestion to deepen two

handpumps and clean one well, so that
the village would not go without water.
The Sarpanch (Panchayat President)
Two village Panchs from Maharashtra who were
suggested that since the Panchayat had
awarded the Nirmal Gram Puruskar in 2005 for received some money for maintenance
the excellent work done by them in the Panchayat. of handpumps, this could be used
 Panchayati Raj / 47
Watershed management has transformed
this barren slope to a green meadow in
just two years.

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for completing this work. The

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members agreed and the Secretary
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recorded their decision.

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The members then went on to Three Levels of Panchayats
discuss the options for a long-term After reading about what happened in
solution. They were sure that the the Gram Sabha and the Gram
Panchayat in Hardas village you can
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Gram Sabha members would ask

questions at the next meeting. Some understand that the Panchayati Raj
Panchs asked whether the watershed System is a process through which
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programme would make a substantial people participate in their own

difference to the water level. A lot of government. The Panchayati Raj
discussion followed. In the end it was system is the first tier or level of
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decided that the Gram Panchayat democratic government. The Panchs

would approach the Block and the Gram Panchayat are
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Development Officer and get more answerable to the Gram Sabha

information on the scheme. because it is the members of the Gram
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Sabha who elected them.

What decisions were taken by the
Gram panchayat? This idea of people's participation
in the Panchayati Raj system extends
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Do you think it was necessary for

them to take these decisions?
to two other levels. One is the Block
Why? level, which is called the Janpad
Panchayat or the Panchayat Samiti.
From the above description, write The Panchayat Samiti has many Gram
down one question that people
Panchayats under it. Above the
could ask of the Panchayat in the
next Gram Sabha meeting.
Panchayat Samiti is the District
Panchayat or the Zila Parishad. The
 48 / Social and Political Life
Zila Parishad actually makes more and more space for people to
developmental plans at the district participate and raise their voices.
level. With the help of Panchayat
Samitis, it also regulates the money Ask your teacher to invite any of
distribution among all the Gram the elected persons such as the
Panchayats. Panch, Sarpanch (Panchayat
President) or member of the
Within the guidelines given in the Janpad or Zila Panchayat and
Constitution each state in the country interview them on their work and
has its own laws with regard to the projects undertaken by them.
Panchayats. The idea is to provide

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QUESTIONS

1. What problem did the villagers in Hardas village face? What did they do to

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2. What, in your opinion, is the importance of the Gram Sabha? Do you think

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all members should attend Gram Sabha meetings? Why?

3. What is the link between a Gram Sabha and a Gram Panchayat?

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4. Take an example of any one task done by a Panchayat in your area/nearby

rural area and find out the following:
a. Why it was taken up.
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b. Where the money came from.

c. Whether or not the work has been completed.
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5. What is the difference between a Gram Sabha and a Gram Panchayat?

6. Read the following news item.

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Nimone is a village on the Chauphula-Shirur Road. Like many others, this village
has also been facing a severe water shortage for the last few months and villagers
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depend on tankers for all their needs. Bhagvan Mahadeo Lad (35) of this village was
beaten with sticks, iron rods and axes by a group of seven men. The incident came
to light when some villagers brought a badly injured Lad to hospital for treatment.
In the FIR recorded by the police Lad said that he was attacked when he insisted
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that the water in the tanker must be emptied into the storage tanks constructed as
part of the water supply scheme by Nimone Gram Panchayat so that there would be
equal distribution of water. However, he alleged that the upper caste men were
against this and told him that the tanker water was not meant for the lower castes.
Adapted from Indian Express, May 1, 2004
a. Why was Bhagvan beaten?
b. Do you think that the above is a case of discrimination? Why?

7. Find out more about watershed development and how it benefits an area?