Origin of panchyat as we know it

The panchyati raj system is one of the oldest system of local government in Indian subcontinent. The word “panchyat” literally means assembly(ayat)

of five (panch) wise and respected elders chosen and accepted by the local  community. However there are different type of assemblies, which traditionally settled disputes between the villagers.

but the form of the panchyat that we see now has not always been like this ,it has  made in its way through various measures. During the British rule ,the British’s were not interested in developing grass root  governance as the wished only to control local bodies which could help them in their trading interest and help them in their trading interest by collecting taxes. During their regime the  introduction of patvari, creation of office of magistrate and abolition of village policing led to the complete disempowerment of the village community and destroyed the panchyat.

however after 1857 the British tried to restore the power of the Panchyat by giving  it power to try minor village offences, but the real benchmarking of the government policy on decentralization of the govt can be attributed to Lord Ripon who in his famous resolution on local self govt on may 18, 1882 recognized  the twin consideration of

• Administrative efficiencies
• political education

followed by  The royal commission on decentralization (1907),then The  provincial autonomy under the govt of India Act ,1935, marked the evolution of the panchyat in India

The Indian national congress from the 1920’s to 1947, emphasized the issue of all-India Swaraj and organized movements for independence  under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi. the task of preparing any sort of blue print for local level was neglected as a result  .There was no consensus among the top leaders regarding the status and the role  to be assigned to the institution local-self government which again led to the suppression of the local bodies .

The real development of the panchyati raj system has happened after independence when it was realized that the country needed a decentralized form of govt active on its toes with local bodies totally self sufficient to heed to its needs.

The major steps to aid this development was The Balwant Rai Mehta committee (1957)  which studies the local  govt ,the community development project and national extension service and gave some very structural recommendation’s

• the election of local bodies
• the division of localities into blocks
• free from govt constrains and self sufficient
• its function covering the development of agriculture in all its aspects, promotion of local industries and others
• the higher level being the zila  parishad

the PRI  did not achieve as momentum as thought , thus a higher committee was set up  to strengthen the system, Tin suggested some the Ashok Mehta committee (1997) which again suggested some steps

• the 3-tire system replaced by 2-tire system
• district be the first point of decentralization
• zila  parisad should be executive body
• official participation of political parties at all levels
• and many more in minor details

These recommendation were considered in some cases and denied in some leading to the present form where there is functioning  local self govt at every level and regular elections.

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