Sunil Jain: Problems in panchayati paradise

For those believing in grassroot democracy, Panchayati Raj is the best thing that’s happened to India in a very long time. But just how effective are these panchayats? The National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER) did a study, funded by the UNDP, in seven relatively poor states — Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Orissa. The districts selected in these states were the ones that were selected in Phase 1 of the NREGA project.

The results showed that more than a third of respondents were not even aware of how often the panchayat met; just about a fourth thought the system addressed their needs; only about 30 per cent said the panchayat did work for the local community. In general, the Schedule Tribe panchayats seem to have done a better job. The impact of women panchayat heads doesn’t seem to have helped too much either, according to the survey.