IMPORTENCE OF INFORMATION AND TECHNOLOGY IN INDIAN PANCHAYATI RAJ SYSTEM
Keywords:
panchayat, gram panchayats, e-PanchayatsAbstract
The panchayats represent democratic decentralized governance in India. The lowest tier of the panchayats – the gram panchayats – were envisioned to provide opportunities to the rural grassroots for participation in the governing process from taking decisions to preparation, implementation and supervision of various development programs. To strengthen the grassroots democratic process gram sabhas (under the 73rd constitutional Amendment Act, 1992) were formed as nodal bodies for approval and sanction of work done by the gram panchayats. The gram sabha provides a platform to the villagers to meet and discuss their problems and also ensure accountability of gram panchayats. The functioning of these gram sabhas has, however, not been smooth and they have come under much flak due to lack of regularity and ransparency.
References
e-Panchayat Mission Mode Project – A Status Report, http://e-Panchayat.gov.in, Ministry of Panchayati Raj, Government of India, April, 2012, pg. 5.
Ibid.
Digital Panchayat – Introduction. E-Panchayat.in.
The Constitution (seventy-third) Amendment) Act, 1992.
The Structure and Functioning of the Gram Sabhas: A Study focused on the District of Kottayam
Lucyamma Kurian, A thesis submitted to Faculty of Social Sciences, Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam, May 2000, pg. 56.
Ibid pg. 57.
More Power to Gram Sabha, Bharat Dogra, Online Civil Society, December 2009 edition.
Gram Sabha and Panchayati Raj – Nirmala Buch, Social Action, Vol. 62, January – March, 2012, pg.8.
Ibid pg. 13.
Gram Sabha Meetings inIndia: Processes, Outcomes and Perspective – Mahi Pal (2009) JOAAG, Vol. 4 No. 2, pg. 85.
The Constitution (seventy-third) Amendment) Act, 1992.
Mahi Pal (2009) op ed. pg. 85.
Local Government: Its role in Development Administration – V. G. Nadedkar (1979) Concept Publishing Company, New Delhi, pg. 168.
Rural India can immensely benefit from Mobile boom – G Krishna Kumar, Deccan Herald (3rd April, 2014).
