With the Constitutional provision and policies being implemented by Central Government and all the states, Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) have gained a rightful prominent place in our governance and development.  The decentralization of powers and responsibility at the grass root is the most welcome development.  If works well, PRIs may become a powerful institutions at grass root level for the governance and development at the village level. 

However, while it is the most welcome step for achieving a kind of ‘village republic’, that we often refer prevailing in a particular golden period of Indian history, in the present day context and observing the functioning of PRIs, the nation has to give serious thought whether PRIs are going in right direction and whether they are equipped to transform rural India, through various major rural development programmes being entrusted to them for the implementation.  We have got to see the ground reality and reach to the truth.  Unless we see everything in right perspective, unless we are honest in reviewing the state of affairs, there is no scope for improvement. 

While as an NGO we are all for PRIs, but, at the same time we need to review the present state of affairs prevalent in the functioning of PRIs as honestly as we can. 

Few observations on PRIs, mainly gathered from the villagers themselves and in large cases from elected Sarpanchas and other members, are reflected in this article.  Infact, these are the observations collected during interactions with the people and elected representatives, and therefore, they represent facts and nothing except the facts. 

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In this article we have purposefully not disclosed the name of state, district, villages (more than 125 villages) and hundreds of respondents, though the disclosure has come from the villagers and their representatives themselves.  May be because of our tremendous rapport with the villagers that they disclosed everything very honestly to us.  May be tribal people are more honest in their disclosure than other section of people. 

Author is full time Director of premier NGO, Sadguru Foundation, associated with Rural Development for 35 years.

PRIs NOT EQUIPPED FOR IMPLEMENTATION

Many programmes are now being entrusted to PRIs for the implementation, not realizing that governance and implementation are two different aspects requiring different qualifications and skills.  Any programme centered around NRM and requiring strong technical and scientifically social inputs cannot be implemented by PRIs unless PRIs have a qualified team for the implementation.  Hariyali scheme could be one such example.  Any programme that requires professional skill and competency, need to be implemented by such team under the overall decision making and monitoring by PRIs.  If this is not ensured, programmes are more likely to fail.  To give example of Hariyali scheme once again, it has miserably failed.  We all know many government programmes have not succeeded to our expectations, but no other programme has failed as miserably as Hariyali scheme, one of the main reasons being not supported by competent team in its implementation.  We believe, it requires a separate full length paper on the implementation and failure of Hariyali scheme.  Fate of Hariyali scheme is awaiting for all Rural Development programmes entrusted to PRIs unless full proof arrangements are provided for its implementation through specialist human resources.  Government of India and State Governments have to realize this simple requirement for any degree of success. 

SARPANCHAS MINTING MONEY ?

We recently interacted actively with village people (of more than 125 villages), mainly women leaders and often panchayat leaders on the financial position of Sarpanchas before and after getting elected.  Two aspects were brought out distinctly and unanimously. 

People with whom we reacted in one district (tribal district) of Western India candidly shared that each candidate for Sarpanchship was spending between Rs. one to five lakhs on the election.  This is unheard in the history of panchayat election since independence or since the inception of Panchayati Raj in different states.  Many states have introduced three tier Panchayati Raj System long back and in such long history such huge expenditure on panchayat elections were never heard of.  Most of the candidates of Sarpanchship were poor, small and marginal farmers.  How could they then manage huge amount for the election ?  Some of them sold their land, some sold their ornaments and animals, some borrowed money from relatives and money lenders, so on so forth.  There was again an interesting disclosure as to on what such huge expenditure was made.  Replies were, in bringing migrant people from towns and far away places in specially hired vehicles both ways, costing thousands of rupees in each village ; distributing money to people for getting votes ; providing liquor to people ; sometimes gifting motor cycles to their main supporters.

When asked why they were spending such huge amount on Sarpanchship, a reply was very common, ‘there was lot of money available to Sarpanch under various schemes’.  There were also cases in which some candidates filled up their nomination to get money worth about Rs. 25,000/- to 30,000/- for the withdrawal of candidature in favour of prospective winner or some more capable candidate. 

On their money minting on becoming Sarpanchas, people gave several examples of Sarpanchas constructing one or two huge pucca houses, buying motor cycles and if there was one before election then buying second motor cycle, purchasing jeeps and in some cases even purchasing costly equipments like JCBs and tractors, buying ornaments and keeping some amount reserved for next election.*  

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*However, there were few Sarpanchas whose image was of honest

In nutshell, Sarpanch election and post election scenario is full of mal-practices for making money.  It is obvious that some of the government functionaries at that level may also be involved in sharing of booty. 

Very interestingly and perhaps strangely, overwhelming majority of new sarpanchas were first time elected defeating large number of old sarpanchas.  This indicates that though lot of money was available with sarpanchas for the development and yet old sarpanchas in most cases were not re-elected.  Maybe people were aware that the money meant for development were not utilized for the development or may be old sarpanchas had developed bad image.  Infact, large number of people shared their views that old sarpanchas were defeated due to the corrupt practices adopted by them.  While this is a good sign on the part of electorate, but, it also reflects that money meant for development were not utilized properly, and therefore, the village development suffered to that extent. 

Besides minting money and financial mal-practices, one of the worst aspects of panchayat elections, is vastly increased factionalism, rivalries and severely affecting peace and harmony of village which were not that good before election, but after election situations became worst ever in virtually each and every village.  This is very dangerous.  In each village, there were 5-7 candidates for one Sarpanchship.  Those lost had worst of everything.  They lost election, lost their productive land in many cases as many had sold or mortgaged their prime land, ended up in a debt they can hardly pay and many left their villages, not sure they would able to return to their villages on account of heavy debt. 

WHERE ARE ROLE MODEL(s)

Under the present political environment and highly vulnerable and deteriorated national character by many leaders at higher level in our country, it is not proper to single out and blame our Sarpanchas for corruption and mal practices.  They simply follow others and try to emulate other leaders at higher levels.  This is not to suggest that we should condone corruption and mal practice in PRIs, but, this is definitely to convey that unless people at higher levels improve their public image and set good example, we cannot expect people at panchayat level to behave better.  People at higher levels have to become role model(s) for lower level leaders.  Barely 30 years back our leaders at all levels were enjoying much better image than the present one.  30-40 years ago there were enough role model(s) among political leadership to emulate.  I have been witness of many MLAs and MPs, spending very little amount on elections (only in few thousands), living simple life, many of them not possessing even motor cycle, let aside cars, no posh bungalows, many of them died poor and penniless.  They were all highly respected and adored by people.  What made sudden changes in the life style of most of our present leaders whose main aim seem to amass huge money ?  Legacy of Mahatma Gandhi has been conveniently forgotten by the same party that he led.  Rhetoric of Pandit Nehru still rings in our ears that ‘in free India corrupt and black marketeers will be hanged at the nearest lamp post’.  Panditji, are you listening ?  Do his successors remember such famous speech of Panditji ?  A party that claimed to be ‘different’ is also ‘no way different’.  Who can reverse this trend ?  Shall we ever get the leaders of those qualities we had during Independence struggle and immediately after that for about couple of decades during post Independence period ?  After that, it has been a downfall all along in national character, in most of cases, if not in all cases.  There may be few such role model in present time also, but, powerful media seldom highlights such role model(s) and instead bring out bad news and often projecting bad work of bad people rather than ‘good people’, in various fields and at various levels. 

POORS ARE HIT THE MOST

Any kind of corruption and any kind of mal practices are bad and they need not be condoned or defended.  However, there is great difference in different mal practices and dishonesty.  Telgi scam, however big it is, it does not hit the poors.  Harshad Mehta scam or any scam and scandal in arms deal does not hit the poors.  The corruption by highly placed people does not hit the poors directly.  But when financial mal-practices and corruption become rampant at village level, particularly, in rural development and poverty reduction programmes, it definitely hit the poors most in absolutely direct manner.  This is the most serious dimension of corruption and mal practices at the village level whether under PRIs or outside PRIs. 

Our policy makers must consider above aspect of corruption in rural development and work out some strategy to make PRIs vis-à-vis Rural Development programmes corruption free and accountable in their performance.  There has to be not only a strong monitoring, but, also strong vigilance on the functioning of PRIs and Rural Development programmes with utmost transparency, and if necessary, strongest punitive actions need to be taken against erring people and those who have abated wrong doings.  Ideally, Panchayati Raj elections should be in practicality free of political interference and very strong control and checks need to be displayed so that our rural poors are not deprived of the benefits of the programmes aimed at improving their lot. 

Colossal amount being spent on Rural Development, and particularly, now in 300 backward districts under NREGS and other programmes will not deliver even one fourth of our expectations, unless some full proof measures are taken to ensure better functioning of PRIs in respect of financial as well as performance aspects. 

Serious disease requires serious remedy.  This is applicable to important pro-poor programmes not being managed properly due to financial bunglings.  Very recently on 7^th March 2007 during hearing of one famous corruption case, Supreme Court judges out of their anguish and displeasure, expressed very strongly the similar remarks made by Pandit Nehru 60 years back that the corrupt should be hanged to the lamp post, though they themselves rightly added that this was not possible under our laws.  While hanging to the lamp post would be unacceptable in our country, atleast it must be ensured that the corrupt people involved in the bunglings of money meant for poors must be dealt promptly and severely, rather summarily, as a strong deterrent. 

Finally and even at the cost of repeating earlier argument, we may not be able to prevent corruption and malpractices at other levels, but, we must do it at panchayat level to help poorest of our people.  If decision makers, for whatever reason, shy away from appropriate corrective measures, rural India will not prosper and unless rural India prospers, India as a whole can never be able to claim a status of developed or prosperous country.  All talks of improved growth rate, GDP, fruits of liberalization and globalization, Indian business houses going global, would simply benefit privileged people and not to rural poors, unless accountability and integrity are ensured in our rural development programmes for poors.  No nation has any right to claim being fast developing economy, when it’s almost half the population is poor without even basic amenities and assured food security and shelters for all of them. 

31.03.2007