Democratic decentralisation is barely alive in India. Comment.
Mahatma Gandhi’s vision of new India was decentralization of powers and governance. The constitution mandates that government to make provisions for economic development and social justice. Under this idea, the 73rd Constitutional Amendment was introduced to set up Panchayati Raj institutions and enable local governance.
Institutions set up to implement decentralization
- District planning committee
District planning committees are set up to draw plans for development of rural and urban areas. They handle critical issues at the ground level such as water and sanitation.
- State finance commission
The state finance commission is modeled on union finance commission. The goal of the institution is to share financial resources with all Panchayati Raj institutions.
- Panchayati Raj
These include gram panchayats, panchayat samiti and Zilla panchayat. All the decisions are taken collectively and members are elected.
Failure of decentralization initiatives
- Lack of financial resources
Local bodies have limited financial resources of their own and are majorly dependent on state government. This has limited their ability to implement developmental goals.
- Politicization of local governance
Local government election is seen as a power show by local politicians. The rivalry between political parties has resulted in negligence of governance.
- Lack of public participation
The public interest in local governance is next to nil. Educated and capable people do not want to indulge themselves in politics.
- Lack of qualified human resources
The intention of local bodies to undertake development is hampered by lack of qualified human resources that can deliver results overcoming the challenges.
Thus, economic development and social justice can be achieved only through strong policy interventions. The goals of decentralization can be achieved through multi-level cooperation.
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