Power to the people

Power to the people

They are known as arch rivals in the state cabinet. Yet, Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh and Minister for Agriculture Ranjit Deshmukh joined hands when it came to delegating powers to the zilla parishads.

The decision to transfer administrative and financial powers to the zilla parishads, as per the 73rd amendment to the Constitution, has given an opportunity to the Congress and Nationalist Congress Party to tighten their grip on the rural Maharashtra which has seen transfer of votes to the Shiv Sena-BJP during the recent years.

Maharashtra is one of the few states in the country which have the three-tier Panchayat Raj institutional set-up in the local level administration since 1962. Under the provisions of the Maharashtra Zilla Parishads and Panchayat Samitis Act, 1961, administrative and developmental responsibilities were conferred on zilla parishads (ZP) and panchayat samitis.

The Panchayat Raj Institutions (PRI) were given more powers on the recommendations of a committee appointed by the State Government under Prof P.B. Patil in June 1984 to review the functioning of the PRIs.

However, the plans to delegate powers to the PRIs got a boost with the passage of 73rd amendment to the Constitution in April ’93. As per the amendment, it was decided to transfer subjects listed in the 11th Schedule of Article 243 (G) to the PRIs. The then Congress government under Sharad Pawar in 1994 decided to implement the amendment but lost power in 1995 to the Shiv Sena-BJP alliance. Significantly, the latter not only ignored the issue but did exactly opposite to the 73rd amendment. Powers of the local bodies were concentrated in the Mantralaya, the State Government’s headquarters.

The decisions on transfers of ZP employees, awarding contracts for water supply schemes, purchase of uniforms and nutritional food for the students in ZP schools were being taken by the ministers. Probably the reason was that most of the ZPs were under the control of the Congress but the decision cost the Sena-BJP alliance in the panchayat elections. The then united Congress swept the elections.

Expectedly, after coming to power in October 1999, the Congress-NCP Democratic Front took up the decision on empowering the local bodies on priority. Last month, the state cabinet decided to transfer the powers to PRIs with effect from October 2.

About 120 schemes and programmes of eight departments including agriculture, social welfare, rural water supply, health, women and child welfare and animal husbandary departments are being transferred to the ZPs. Along with the sweeping administrative powers, the ZPs will get about 40 per cent of the state’s budget every year.

Says Chandra Iyengar, Secretary, Rural Development Department: ‘‘At present, the state has 33 ZPs, 321 panchayat samitis and 27,611 gram panchayats. About 61 per cent of the state’s population stays in the rural area.

The government’s motive is to delegate power to the last level of administration.’’ Since the welfare schemes were being implemented at both, state and PRI levels, two different set-ups were being used for one objective.

It was wastage of money, labour and time, she points out.

But the move is not limited to this. ‘‘It will change the face of the taluka- and district-level governance,’’ says Minister for Rural Development R.R. Patil.According to political observers, a president of the zilla parishad, armed with newly acquired powers under the 73rd amendment, can become much more powerful than the guardian minister of his district who heads the district planning and development council or local Members of Parliament.

It will also cut the clout of the MLAs in their districts and underline the importance of local bodies in the state administration.

Henceforth, any government occupying the seat of power in the Mantralaya would not be able to concentrate the powers in its hand. The Congress and NCP leaders are fully aware of the effect the decision will have on the state’s political scenario.

Both the parties are in control of most of the ZPs and Panchayat Samitis. Their leaders, including the present Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, have come up the political ladder through the local bodies. The seriousness in the Congress camp can be gauged from the fact that arch rivals like the Chief Minister and Minister for Agriculture Ranjit Deshmukh were unanimous over the decision.

The major opposition party in the state, the Shiv Sena, however, failed to understand the gravity of the decision. Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly Narayan Rane criticised the decision. The Sena leader’s contention is that the decision would weaken the State Government.

Notwithstanding the objection by the opposition and also some of the ministers like Industry Minister Patangrao Kadam and Public Works minister Vijaysinh Mohite-Patil, the government is committed to go ahead with its plans.

The results would be visible in 2002, when the ZPs and Panchayat Samitis in the state go to the polls.

If the Congress-NCP implement the decision seriously, it may have a tight grip on the local bodies and ultimately the state’s politics. Maybe, the Sena-BJP will have to rethink on their policy on the 73rd amendment.