Constitution of India visualised village panchayats as units of self-government. Think over the situation described in the following statements and explain how do these situations strengthen or weaken the panchayats in becoming units of self-government.
Government of a State has allowed a big company to establish a huge steel plant. Many villages would be adversely affected by the steel plant. Gram Sabha of one of the affected villages passed a resolution that before establishing any big industries in the region, village people must be consulted and their grievances should be redressed.
This situation strengthens the panchayats. The Gram Sabha's resolution demanding consultation before establishing industries shows participatory democracy in action. It asserts that local people must have a say in decisions affecting their lives, which is the essence of self-government.
The government has decided that 20% of all its expenditure would be done through the panchayats.
This situation strengthens the panchayats significantly. Allocating 20% of government expenditure through panchayats provides financial autonomy. Financial resources are essential for any institution of self-government to function effectively and implement development initiatives.
A village panchayat kept on demanding funds for a building for village school, the government officials turned down their proposal saying that funds are allocated for certain other schemes and cannot be spent otherwise.
This situation weakens the panchayats. When government officials reject the panchayat's proposal for a school building, it shows lack of financial independence. The panchayat cannot prioritise local needs, making it dependent on higher authorities for specific approvals.
The government divided a village Dungarpur into two and made a part of village Jamuna and Sohana. Now village Dungarpur has ceased to exist in government's books.
This situation weakens the panchayats severely. The arbitrary division of village Dungarpur without consulting villagers shows that the government can erase a panchayat's existence, undermining its autonomy and stability as a unit of self-government.
A village panchayat observed that water sources of their region are depleting fast. They decided to mobilise village youth to do some voluntary work and revive the old village ponds and wells.
This situation strengthens the panchayats. By mobilising village youth to revive water sources voluntarily, the panchayat demonstrates self-reliance and community participation. This reflects Gandhi's vision that "every village has to be self-sustained and capable of managing its affairs."
Explanation
This question tests understanding of how different situations affect the autonomy and effectiveness of panchayats as units of self-government. The context establishes that panchayats were visualised as instruments of decentralisation and participatory democracy. Situations (a), (b), and (e) strengthen panchayats by promoting participatory democracy, financial autonomy, and self-reliance respectively. These align with Gandhi's vision that villages should be self-sustained and capable of managing their affairs. Situations (c) and (d) weaken panchayats by restricting financial independence and arbitrarily reorganizing village boundaries without consultation, undermining the very principle of local self-government.