Why panchayats are not given salary like other two tier of democracy By Manohar Manoj, Editor, Economy India

Why panchayats are not given salary like other two tier of democracy

By Manohar Manoj, Editor, Economy India

Rahul Gandhi while addressing the CII business summit, said, the 73rd and 74th amendment of constitution are the key to the issue of administrative-political system of the country, this is the sector which has not yet been fully supported by the political parties of the country.

 It is a big irony that we start discussing the things without considering actual status and sequence of the issue. On the one side Rahul is advocating panchayati system in contrast to MP oriented First tier and MLA oriented second tier of democratic governance. While talking about the whole  political-administrative system, actually Rahul does not able to behold the whole set up of the country in uniform and cohesive manner, so he could not able to point out the various imbalances and paradoxes which exist in  our whole system and set-up of the country. These imbalances reflect in form of lack of level playing between first-Second tier and third tier. The first- second tier means MP-MLA are provided appropriate salaries and facilities but kept toothless over their administrative affairs in their respective constituencies. On the contrast Third tier, especially an elected village head has been kept deprived of salary and all facilities but has been given unchecked immense executive and financial rights, resulting in big leakages in the local development programs and above all the unnoticed bureaucracy has become actual ruler of our system, who is making all shots in the name of democracy which lacks a complete vision that what would be or must be our administrative political structure of the country.

  Rahul should know this fact the position of MP in first tier of governance is not very powerful on executive front; they may be powerful on legislative front, but absolutely not on executive front. The legislative power of MP is also being interpreted upon through their party whip or through the instruction of leader of the party.  The executive power enjoyed by a member of parliament is only have advisory nature and that of recommender one. They get MPLAD fund that is of 5 crores in a year, that is their first and last financial executive power otherwise they have no say in their constituency's administration despite their said public accountability towards their constituency people. The same case applies with the second tier of democracy, MLA also.

In state like Bihar, even MLAs have been kept deprived from their MLA fund unlike other states.

Talking about the first tier of democratic governance, the reality is that, the democratic face of the govt. in the first tier is concentrated and confined with PM led cabinet only, which cannot alone look  after and address the day to day problems of 120 crores citizen of the country. This democratic face of PM and its cabinet is followed by the long and large size of bureaucracy. This bureaucracy is legally and practically not accountable to the public; they are accountable to their democratic boss only who uses them with their own whims and fancies. Down the order in the second tier of democracy the democratic face of the govt. lies with CM and his cabinet and rest area is filled with long and large hierarchy of bureaucracy.  Again, down the order the three layered third tier of democracy panchayati raj, which is being vehemently advocated by Rahul Gandhi is widely represented by elected representatives at gram panchayat level, at block panchayat level and at district panchayat level. This sector has been undoubtedly availed with fair amount of political and executive power, but very astonishingly, they are not being given pay, salary, perks, allowances and facility environment on the line of first and second tier.

So, it is assumed that this third tier sector siphon out money out of allocated funds to them and thus they meet out their all expenses as well as their own pittance. This is the most significant characteristics prevailing upon our panchayati system, which is not being addressed on any behalf. That is why, on contrary to the Rahul Gandhi's statement, people sometimes say that Panchayati Raj system is  more corrupt than the officers and thus the cause of democratic decentralization and strengthening of local self government in India have got paralyzed  because of this sect oral imbalances and their over corrupt tendencies. These imbalances are quite visible, the first tier and second tier are availed with pay and facilities but deprived with executive power in their constituency and on the contrary, the third tier has been availed with enormous executive power but deprived with pay and salaries.

We are not able to comprehend that if we provide a fair amount of executive power to the MP and MLA in their respective district and block administration, it will curtail the bureaucratic lazardness over the administration and thus it will enhance their public accountability,  In the same way if we avail the monetary facilities to the PRI representatives along with their executive and governance power, it will  actually provide them a proper level playing field for our all three tier of political governance. And after doing this had we started to establish structural combination of politicians-bureaucrat system on all three tier of democratic systems.

In India the panchayati raj system which was brought in India through Balwant Rai Mehta committee to implement community development plan in 1950s, has now become Integral and inseparable part of our democratic governance.

Right now many central and state sponsored schemes are being implemented through panchayati raj institutions (PRIs) and almost 12-15 percent of the total state financial resources have been delegated to these institutions, but at the same time many implementation problems have also arisen over. It is said that all three layered panchayati raj system and its office bearers are more corrupt than the government official, then something seriously we must dealt upon it.

The ex rural development Minister Raghuvansh Pd. Singh used to say that mukhiya (village head) is more corrupt than the officers. Usually before the induction of panchayati raj, the block level officers used to implement several village development schemes, now these schemes have been delegated to the PRIs, taking into consideration, the representative from people would take keen interest in providing local self government with the sense of more honesty, integrity and sense of urgency. But roughly it is estimated, the bureaucracy were siphoning 25 percent amount of the allocated funds, which have been increased up to 35 to 40 percent under the PRIs.

These allegation leveled against local self government representatives may be  true or not, it is a matter of study research, but one of the major imbalances which we don't heed and  people are not watching, these PRIs , despite being shouldered with loads of responsibilities, power and duties along with funds carved out through central and state finance commission along with central sponsored schemes, they have not been given basic things, that is their pay, salary, perks, allowance and other facilities  related  to their work.

Now the question is why there is no salary, allowances and perks for these public representatives. Do we think or do we assume that without providing pay and perks to the third tier public representatives, can we carry on this system free from misappropriation of fund, can we go ahead without siphoning of public money meant for the regional and local development.

If someone thinks, to meet out the salary expenses to the PRI representatives, where the money will come from?. To meet out the salary expense of around 28 lakh PRI elected representatives would require a huge fund. One who advocates PRIs, they should also think on this line that in spite of making PRIs an emotional tool of slogan of public participation in the democracy,  If we  plead PRIs in order to promote public participation in a democracy, we need a creation of level playing and a more balanced policy mechanism for the PRIs. Still many people are in illusion over PRIs that it acts as a panacea for democratic decentralization of the country.  The fact is that, here also in third tier, like the first and second tier, people have to wait next election to express their anger over the PRIs representative. Because there is no time to time meeting of gram sabha provisioned for the gram panchayats, there is no functioning of monitoring committee. Gram pradhan or Mukhiya spend the money in wayward manner, there becomes a cult of strong factionalism in panchayat.

So the person who regard themselves visionary of  this  system  should at least pick a point from where, a new beginning should be initiated and the existing imbalances among the all three tier of governance could get averted.

It is true that monetary cost of panchayati raj operation is very huge and these expenses would have no return. I think that is why the political leadership and the top bureaucracy of the country are not doing anything on this count. To my mind there may be two viewpoints over this. The first viewpoint is that any constitutional provision should not be thought out in the context of its cost and output and it's ultimately burden over the public exchequer. The second point is that, the presence of higher competitive environment during the panchayati raj elections have not persuaded the decision maker to think over this crucial pay and perks point of the elected representatives.

In the local self body elections, the contesting candidates are ready to spend about 5 lakhs to even one crore and so on. At the time of 3 layered election of three tire democracy of local self government at gram panchayat level  ( gram pradhan, sarpanch, ward member), BDC Member for block panchayat level and councilor  for zila panchayat, we witness that there become a huge competitions among the contesting candidates to register their presence in this structure of three tier of democracy. The representative of local self government  are being given monthly salary in different state as per their state laws, but they are very meager amount, if we take the Bihar panchayati raj, the salary ranges between Rs 300 to 1200 per month. But since the quantum of power they are enjoying is enough, the financial power of a gram pradhan is far bigger than that of MLA now. So it is assumed that the various funds allocated for different socio economic development of rural areas are being siphoned by the village head.

It is estimated that on an average Rs 2 crore comes in a village panchayat in a year. If a village head takes even 15 to 20 percent commission, so he would be earning 30-40 lakh in a year very easily. Now if we say gram pradhans are corrupt, it should have level playing like the representatives of first and second tier. Until unless we provide them proper pay, allowances and perks on the same line of first and second tier of democracy, we cannot raise the misappropriation of funds meant for the development of panchayats in a judicious manner. A village head has to deal around 5-7 thousand population. In order to that he has to keep one or two assistant, he has to make expense on vehicle fuel, mobile etc. We generally see, being a local representative, dozens of people go to mukhiya and ask for several kinds of donation and tribute. In this context it becomes imperative to give them a reasonable amount of salary and then trap them vehemently in graft and corruption cases. If we think on the cost and output line too, on the panchayati system, I think to provide salary and all other facilities to PRIs, is a beneficial step on the part of govt.  The transfer of all around 3-4 lakh crore in a year take place to third tier institutions, Even if it's 20 to 25 percent amount get leaked or siphoned off, then it is better to provide 10 percent of this money get spent over their salary and other count, so practically it will save the 15 percent of graft money which got siphoned off by the elected representative of third tier of democracy. This initiative should be followed by a strong anti graft act especially for the 3rd tier of governance. I think govt. of Punjab has done very rightly, it has brough all third tier representative under the purview of state lokayukta.

 I do not mean to say the provision of proper salary and allowances to PRIs representatives would automatically omit their corrupt tendencies, it may be or may not be. But with the induction of this provision we would certainly get a level playing field for anti graft campaign in the country against all three tier public representatives in an equal and uniform manner.