5.32 ndian onom
(i.e., development) cannot be solved. Finally, once same coalition (i.e., the NDA) did not come to
the PRIs were given the constitutional status, first power in the forthcoming general elections. But
time planning became a constitutional excercise at the UPA Government did not look less serious on
any level, i.e., at the panchayat level. the issue of participatory development. By mid-
Though the planning at the central and the 2006, the Planning Commission wrote letters to
state levels are still extra-constitutional activities, every Chief Minister of each state that before the
it has become constitutional at the level of local Eleventh Plan commences it wants that all the
bodies. Kerala has shown some pathbreaking PRIs are duly delegated their functional powers
good works via local body planning.93 But still of planning from the concerned states. Otherwise,
there are many hurdles to be solved before the the funds kept for local development would not
local bodies are really able to plan for their proper flow to the states. This shows the seriousness of the
development. These hurdles as per the experts are Central Government.
as under: Meanwhile, the Central government is
(i) The financial status of the PRIs is still not aimed at redrawing the contours of decentralised
stabilised. planning in the country. The new development
(ii) Which taxes the PRIs can impose are still ‘think tank’—NITI Aayog—has a completely new
not clear. orientation towards decentralised planning:
(iii) The state assemblies have been The body has to design the development
procrastinating in delegating timely and policies keeping in mind the needs of
needful powers to the PRIs. nation, states and the PRIs. This will be
(iv) Low level of awareness among the one of its kind—a fully ‘integrated’
local people regarding their Right to planning process.
Information and the right functioning of It has to use the ‘bottom-up’ approach
the PRIs unlike the one-size-fits-all (‘Top-down’)
(v) Use of money and muscle power in the approach of the past.
PRI elections in some states To the extent the finalisation of plans
By mid-2002, there took place an all and required funds are concerned, all
India Panchayat Adhyaksha Sammelan in stakeholders will be having their says
New Delhi. At the end of the conference , the (through the Governing Council which
Panchayat Adhyakshas handed over a ‘21 Point is composed of the CMs of states and the
Memorandum’ to the government which specially Chiefs of UTs).
dealt with the financial status of the PRIs. In July
Promoting the idea of ‘Team India’ which
2002, while the then PM was addressing the
will be working on a common ‘National
annual meet of the District Rural Development
Agenda’.
Agency (DRDA), he announced that the PRIs
will be given ‘financial autonomy’ very soon. It has to promote the idea of co-
He further added that once there is a political operative federalism, which is in itself a
consensus, the government might go in for further highly decentralised style of promoting
constitutional amendment. Unfortunately, the development planning.
By early 2015, we saw a change in the
93. Jose George, ‘Panchayats and Participatory Planning in
Kerala’, The Indian Journal of Public Administration, Central government’s outlook towards the fund
Vol. XLIII, No.1, January–March 1997. requirements by the states, viz.,