Introduction
Democracy is present in India at all levels, whether central, state, or local. Following independence, the government formed the Panchayati Raj system to ensure peace and order in villages and small towns. It has three levels: Zila Parishad at the district level, Panchayat Samiti at the block level, and Gram Panchayats at the local level. Gram Sabha, Gram Panchayat, and Nyaya Panchayat are all subsets of the Gram Panchayat.
Panchayati Raj establishes village local government, which is important for the development of villages, especially in areas like primary education, health, agricultural advancements, woman and child development, and women's participation in local government, etc.
One of Panchayati Raj's primary goals is rural development, which has been implemented in all of India's states. All Indian states, with the exception of Nagaland, Meghalaya, and Mizoram, as well as all Union Territories other than Delhi, have panchayati raj systems. These territories consist of:
Tribal regions and scheduled areas in the states
Manipur's hilly region, for which a district council is in place, and West Bengal's Darjeeling district, for which there is a Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council
Gram Sabha vs Gram Panchayat
Gram Sabha is an elected body of all the people of a village who have reached the age of 18 and whose names are on the voter list. The Gram Sabha's executive committee is known as the Gram Panchayat, and it is made up of representatives elected by the Sabha.
Difference Between Gram Sabha vs Gram Panchayat in Tabular Form
| Parameters of Comparison | Gram Sabha | Gram Panchayat |
| Definition | Gram Sabha is a governing body that functions at the village level and considers the Gram Panchayat's annual budget and audit reports. | Gram Panchayat is the bottom tier of Panchayati Raj that operates at the village level for the welfare and development of the community. |
| Body | It is a fixed structure. | It is a transitory body. |
| Member | Everyone whose name is on the voter list of the local village. | Its members are Ward members, Panches, and Sarpanches. |
| Election | The Sabha does not have elected members. | Members of the Panchayat are directly chosen by Sabha members. |
| Meetings | Two meetings per year are required. | A meeting should be held once a month. |
What is Gram Sabha?
Gram Sabha is defined as a lawful assembly of the adult residents of a village or group of villages. According to the 73rd Amendment, the State Legislature determines the Sabha's roles, powers, and functions.
Gram Sabha examines Panchayat's yearly budget and accounts, as well as its audit and management reports and tax proposal. It also adopts development plans proposed by the Panchayat. It also plans and arranges numerous community development resources.
Every year, the Gram Sabha holds two meetings: the first to evaluate the Gram Panchayat's budget, and afterward to consider the Panchayat's reports. Members of the Sabha vote in secret ballots to elect their elected officials at the Village Panchayat, namely its members and the Chairperson.
Compostion of Gram Sabha
The following people make up the majority of the Gram Sabha:
Individuals over the age of 18
People who live in a village
People whose names appear on the Panchayat electoral rolls
Functions of Gram Sabha
According to Article 234 G of the Indian Constitution, the Gram Sabha possesses the powers and performs the functions that the Legislature of a State may prescribe by legislation.
The Gram Panchayat reports on actions undertaken since the last Gram Sabha. It presents the last Gram Sabha's proposals and resolutions, as well as the Panchayat's action on those resolutions.
Gram Sabha meetings also involve discussions on ration distribution, pensions for the elderly, and disabled pensions based on Panchayat boundaries.
It also considers different issues concerning school enrollment, attendance, and the growth of schools within the jurisdiction of the Gram Sabha.
In a Gram Sabha, there is also a discussion of various hospitals and veterinary facilities and their activities.
The health officer from the Panchayat's primary health center will attend the Gram Sabha and brief the members on the various vaccination and immunization programs, children suffering from malnutrition, and precautionary measures that the people of the village should take against diseases such as dengue malaria, among others. The Gram Sabha also discusses the various services and facilities provided by the health centers.
The Gram Panchayat Secretary would identify several public works projects that would be conducted with Panchayat funding. These are then presented to the Gram Sabha for approval in order to be incorporated into the Panchayat's plans.
The Gram Sabha has also permitted to begin the process of evaluating the nature and extent of an individual's or community's forest rights under the particular provisions of the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act 2006.
Organisation of Gram Sabha
In conjunction with the Sarpanch, the Panchayat Secretary organizes the Gram Sabha.
A request to hold a meeting of the Gram Sabha may be submitted if 10% of the Gram Sabha members or 50 Gram Sabha members, whichever is more significant in this situation, do so. The Gram Panchayat Sarpanch is required to convene a meeting in the event of such a request. Additionally, the participants in the meeting must let the Sarpanch know what their purpose is.
Five days prior to the meeting date, a formal meeting request must be delivered to the Sarpanch during business hours in order to convene the meeting.
The members of the Gram Sabha may decide to organize the meeting themselves if the Sarpanch fails or is unable to do so.
Scheduled Meeting of Gram Sabha
The Gram Sabha must convene at least twice a year, according to the State Panchayat Raj Acts.
For the sake of convenience, most states have designated four national-international days as reference dates for these gatherings.
It is Republic Day (January 26th).
Labor Day is on May 1st.
Independence Day is on August 15th.
Gandhi Jayanti (October 2nd)..
Problems Faced by Gram Sabha
The following issues were discussed during the Gram Sabha meeting:
- Building and maintenance of village roads and waterways, including culvert construction and tree planting.
- Maintenance and repair of public wells, tanks, and pits.
- Village cleanliness, health, and sanitation, education, maintenance, purchasing and selling village property are all issues that the Panchayat addresses.
- Panchayat can refer the case to higher authorities such as Lekhpal, Patwari, and so on.
- Dispensary management, village markers. The Village Panchayat performs these tasks on a volunteer basis. Other volunteer activities include veterinary hospitals for the care of local cattle and the organization of community sport
Pre-Gram Sabha Obligations
The Panchayat Secretary's responsibilities prior to Gram Sabha include:
- In consultation with the Sarpanch, the Gram Sabha's agenda was finalized.
- Announcing the meeting of the Gram Sabha.
- Distributing information about the Gram Sabha meeting, including the date, time, and location.
- Preparing the Action Taken Report on the Gram Sabha meeting's prior resolutions.
- Making notes about the issues on the agenda for the present Gram Sabha meeting.
- Providing attendees of the Gram Sabha meeting with appropriate seats, drinking water, and sanitation facilities.
Obligations During Gram Sabha
During the course of Gram Sabha, the Panchayat Secretary's responsibilities include:
- Keeping a record of the attendees' information for the Gram Sabha meeting.
- Presenting the Action Taken Report on the Gram Sabha meeting's prior resolutions.
- Ensuring the smooth running of the Gram Sabha meeting in accordance with its agenda.
- Helping the Sarpanch record the Gram Sabha's minutes.
- Recording of votes cast in favor of/against any resolution that the Gram Sabha has considered
What is Gram Panchayat?
Gram Panchayat, also known as village panchayat, is the fundamental body of rural local self-government that serves as an executive committee of the Gram Sabha. Gram Panchayat is the lowest tier of the Panchayati Raj Institution's three-tier organization.
The overall count of members in the gram panchayat differs by village and is determined by population. However, in general, the number of members ranges from 5 to 9, who are known as Panches and are elected directly by the Gram Sabha. The President or Sarpanch is the chief of the Panches.
Throughout elections, the village is split into different areas, and one Ward member is elected from each ward. Seats in the Gram Panchayat are reserved for women and members of scheduled castes and tribes.
Every month, the gram panchayat schedules a meeting. The Gram Panchayat's functions can be classified as mandatory or voluntary. Civic duties include sanitation, drainage and ponds, public toilets, vaccination, road cleaning, water for drinking supply, street lighting, primary and adult education, and so forth. Optional functions, on the other hand, are related to tree planting, agricultural promotion, and arranging child and maternity welfare.
Compostion of Gram Panchayat
Sarpanch: He is the Gram Panchayat's head. He is elected directly, and in some situations indirectly, by Gram Panchayat members.
Members: A Village Panchayat has between 5 and 31 members. Women are given preference for one-third of the Panchayat's seats. Scheduled Castes/Tribes are also given priority seating.
Honorary members include the Sarpanch and Vice-Sarpanch. They do not receive pay. The State government also appoints a paid Secretary to the Panchayat and a Treasurer if the Panchayat is substantial.
Functions of Gram Panchayat
The Ministry of rural development is a division of the government that sees to it that all problems and issues that residents are having are promptly fixed. Their main concerns are things like energy, water availability, health, and education.
- Upkeep of the roadside lighting and the streets.
- The rise of the underclasses socially and academically.
- The resettlement of displaced persons.
- The condition of the women and children in the area.
- Increases cattle breeding efficiency.
- The plan for the shared management of the land.
- Coordinating local transportation for improved connectivity.
- Housing initiatives for remote residents
- Localization of electrification
- Plenty of water for personal and agricultural usage
- Education might be social, elementary, vocational, adult, or non-formal.
Importance of Gram Panchayat
To understand the status of the tiniest of localities, it is crucial for any system to have a local government. As is well known, in 1993, the 73rd Amendment Act brought this concept into effect.
It contributes to the overall reduction of poverty.
The gram Panchayati can support individuals in speaking up and raising their concerns to get problems fixed.
Additionally, it promotes the better and more effective use of the available resources.
Benefits of Gram Panchayat
The Indian government established several programs following the 73rd amendment, some of which are as follows:
- Indira Awaas Yojana: This program gives free housing to low-income, SC/ST families.
- Jawahar Gram Samiridhi Yojana: It provides demand-driven community infrastructure and assets to assist the poor community in increasing their job opportunities.
- Antyodaya Anna Yojana: This program supplies food grains to low-income families at a high subsidy rate.
- Sawrnajayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana: It gives a sustainable income to poor rural households as well as BPL families. The scheme also offers locals self-employment, skill development, and other opportunities.
- The Annapurna Scheme gave around 10 kg of food grains to BPL individuals each month for free.
Drawbacks of Gram Panchayat
The following are the limits of India's panchayat system:
- Resources are scarce.
- Youth participation is lacking.
- Involvement of the political class.
Main Difference Between Gram Sabha and Gram Panchayat in Points
The following points highlight all of the major distinctions between gram sabha as well as gram panchayat:
- Gram Sabha can be thought of as a basic assembly of all the people whose names are on the Village Panchayat's electoral lists. On the contrary, Gram Panchayat is the village-level executive body that works for the village's development and welfare.
- While the Gram Sabha is a permanent entity, the Gram Panchayat is a temporary one, with members chosen for a five-year term.
- The Gram Sabha is made up of all adult residents of the village who are registered to vote. Gram Panchayat members, on the other hand, comprise ward members, Panch and Sarpanch. Aside from these members, the state government appoints a Panchayat Secretary, Gram Sewak, and Watchman to oversee the activities of the Panchayat.
- Gram Sabha members are not elected, yet their names appear on the voter registration list. Members of the Gram Panchayat, on the other hand, are chosen directly by Gram Sabha members.
- When it comes to meetings, the gram sabha holds two each year. Unlike gram panchayat, where the Sarpanch holds one meeting per month.
Conclusion
The Panchayati Raj System is a traditional form of local governance that is used not only in India but also in other South Asian countries. The Gram Sabha alongside Gram Panchayat is primarily established to implement development and welfare programs in the village, to understand the needs and concerns of the people living in the Panchayat's jurisdiction, and to resolve disputes between two villagers and between villages.
References
- https://vikaspedia.in/social-welfare/community-power/role-of-gram-sabha/what-is-gram-sabha
- https://prepp.in/news/e-492-gram-sabha-indian-polity-upsc-notes
- https://www.toppr.com/guides/civics/panchayati-raj/development-of-panchayati-raj/
