By Sreekutty & Nihala Navas
This amendment has added a new Part IX titled “Panchayats” in the Indian Constitution,
consisting of 16 articles – Article 243 to 243 O. It has also added the Eleventh Schedule, whichelaborates Article 243 G, dealing with Powers, authority and responsibilities of the Panchayats.
This Act provides that the Panchayat bodies will have a duration of five years, withelections mandatory after this period. Under the Act the establishment of Panchayats and the
devolution of necessary powers and authority on the Panchayati Raj institutions are vested in the
state governments.
It provides for a three-tier panchayati raj system at the village, intermediate
and district levels. Small states with population below twenty lakh have been given the optionnot to constitute the panchayats at the intermediate level. The 73rd Amendment Act envisages
the Gram Sabha (Article 243A) as the foundation of the Panchayati Raj System to performfunctions and powers entrusted to it by the state legislatures. ‘Gram Sabha’ means a bodyconsisting of persons registered in the electoral rolls relating to village comprised within the area
of Panchayat at the village level.
Article 243 C provides for the composition of panchayats. All members of the village
panchayats, intermediate panchayats and district panchayats shall be chosen by direct electionfrom territorial constituencies in the panchayat area. Minimum age of a person to become a
member of a Panchayat is 21 years.
Article 243 D provides for the reservation of seats for scheduled castes and scheduledtribes and for women. One-third of the total seats in the panchayat are reserved for women.
Reservation of seats for SC’s and ST’s will be in proportion to their population in the state. Suchreserved seats may be allotted by rotation to different constituencies.
Article 243 G provides for the powers, authority and responsibilities entrusted to the
Panchayats to prepare plans for economic development and social justice in respect of matters
listed in Eleventh Schedule of the Constitution. This schedule contains 29 items which include
agriculture and allied activities, minor irrigation schemes, land reforms, water management &watershed development, khadi village & cottage industries, rural housing, roads & bridges,
primary and secondary education, adult education, libraries, markets and fairs, primary healthcenters, family welfare, women and child development, welfare of weaker sections etc.
According to Article 243H, panchayats have the power to impose taxes, tolls and fees and toreceive finance from the state government in the form of grants.
As a result of the enactment of the 73rd constitutional amendment about 2,27,698Panchayats at the village level; 5906 panchayats at intermediate level and 474 panchayats at the
district level have been constituted in the country. These Panchayats are being manned by about
34 lakh elected representatives of Panchayats at all levels, thus providing a broad representative
base at the grass roots level.
Littérateurs 