Workshop organized by Ministry of Panchayati Raj on Rajiv Gandhi Panchayat Sashaktikaran Abhiyan (RGPSA)

In order to strengthen panchayati raj and decentralised democratic governance in India, the Ministry of Panchayati Raj (MoPR) has announced the Rajiv Gandhi Panchayat Sashaktikaran Abhiyan (RGPSA). This scheme is to be launched during the 12th Five Year Plan (2012-17). Under RGPSA, states are expected to prepare perspective plans to strengthen their panchayati raj system.

In order to give inputs and support to the states on their draft perspective plans, MoPR organised three regional workshops in collaboration with National Institute of Rural Development (NIRD), Hyderabad in January – February 2013. Dr Alok Pandey from PRIA attended one such workshop on 5 February 2013. Given below are his reflections after attending the workshop.

RGPSA includes a range of activities such as administrative and technical support to panchayats, infrastructure support, capacity building and training of elected representatives (ERs) of panchayati raj institutions (PRIs) and other functionaries, upgradation of institutional structures that provide training and capacity building to PRIs, promotion of active gram sabhas, appropriate accounting procedures and accountability processes such as social audit, and implementation of the Panchayat Extension to Scheduled Areas (PESA) Act. All states and union territories will be covered under RGPSA. To bring effectiveness and quality in RGPSA, 20 per cent of the scheme funds is linked (tied) with the state’s performance (2014-15 onwards).

Development of a perspective plan to strengthen PRIs is not a new exercise for states or for that matter for the MoPR. The important thing is how these perspective plans are implemented by the states. Over the last 7 to 8 years, such plans have often been developed on the whims and fancies of high level bureaucrats. The participation of PRI representatives in these perspective plans has been negligible. Resources available for strengthening PRIs are controlled by state governments, e.g., the Backward Regions Grant Fund (BRGF) where resources earmarked to build the capacities of PRIs are used by states as per their own discretion.
As far as capacity building of PRIs is concerned, in the last 10 to 12 years states have focused more on satellite based trainings instead of face to face trainings to extend their outreach. The fact of the matter is that most State Institutes of Rural Development (SIRDs) neither have sufficient or quality human resources nor are they open enough to collaborate with individuals/institutions that have expertise on the subject. In fact, SIRD officials are often apprehensive of the openness of resource persons from outside the government system.

The capacities of ERs are limited. As a result, they are heavily dependent on line department officials, which reduces their control over the officials or in the institution. The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) is an example. MGNREGS is considered a demand driven scheme and gram panchayats are supposed to develop their annual plans under MGNREGS on the basis of local demand. However, due to limited capacities of ERs of gram panchayats, most plans that are being implemented at the local level are actually developed by the departments or by bureaucrats. Till date, no gram panchayat in the country has been able to prepare a gender based plan.

Infrastructure development is a major component of the annual plan of gram panchayats. It is an irony that till date a number of gram panchayats have not been able to build their own gram panchayat bhawans. Those gram panchayats who do have offices, do not have toilet facilities, leave alone separate toilets for women ERs who represent more than one-third of the total number of ERs in every tier of PRIs.

Equipment like computers, printers, fax machines, etc. have been given to some gram panchayats. These are useful as gram panchayats are assigned the responsibility of providing different types of certificates (birth, death, caste, land rights, etc.) to local residents. However, in the absence of adequate human resources, such equipment lies idle.

Opportunities for Civil Society Organisations:
For civil society organisations (CSOs), RGPSA could be seen as a good opportunity. First, provisions have been made to establish Central Steering Committees (CSCs) and Central Executive Committees (CECs). In both committees, individuals/institutions who have expertise in the field of panchayati raj (two members in the CSC and three members in the CEC) will be nominated. CSOs should try to become part of these committees for better implementation and effective monitoring of RGPSA. It is expected that similar provisions will be made at the state level and CSOs that function at the state level must try to join these committees.

Provisions have also been made under RGPSA to provide technical assistance to states. This is another opportunity for CSOs who have expertise in the field of panchayati raj to support state governments in developing their perspective plans.

State Panchayat Resource Centres (SPRCs) and District Panchayat Resource Centres (DPRCs) are planned to be established under RGPSA. It is expected that these SPRCs and DPRCs will support capacity building training programmes. CSOs who have expertise in running Block Resource Centres (BRCs), Panchayat Resource Centres (PRCs), Village Information Centres (VICs), etc. can help in the establishment of SPRCs and DPRCs and facilitate the functioning of these centres.

CSOs can also join hands in capacity building and training programmes. As states are now refocusing on face to face training, CSOs can work with SIRDs (till the time SPRCs and DPRCs get functional) to conduct these training programmes.

RGPSA has tremendous potential to strengthen PRIs in the country. However, a lot will depend on its implementation by the states and how much CSOs can facilitate and influence this.