Panchayati Raj consists of Gram Panchayat at village level, Block Panchayat at intermediate level and Zila Panchayat at the district level.
Every year, April 24 is observed as National Panchayati Raj Day (NPRD) by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj to celebrate the constitutional status accorded to the Panchayati Raj system in the country.
This occasion provides an opportunity for direct dialogue with Panchayat representatives from all over the country as well as recognizing their achievements to empower and motivate them.
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The objective of celebrating the National Panchayati Raj Day is to increase awareness about Panchayats and Gram Sabhas, the institutions of the local self-governments for the rural areas mandated by the Constitution, and also about their roles, responsibilities, achievements, concerns, resolutions etc.
Significance
This annual celebration is done in order to commemorate the historic day on which the Constitution Act (73rd Amendment) passed in 1992. However, the 73rd Constitutional Amendment came into force on April 24, 1993, and hence led to the formation of the Panchayati Raj system in India.
Therefore, the day is commemorated to celebrate the inception of decentralised power. The former prime minister of India Manmohan Singh declared the first National Panchayati Raj Day on April 24, 2010.
History
In 1957, a Committee was formulated which focused on the evolution of the Panchayati Raj in India.
The committee was headed by Balwantrai Mehta and proposed a decentralised gram panchayat system consisting of Gram Panchayat at the village level, Block Panchayat or Panchayat Samiti at the intermediate level and Zilla Panchayat at the district level.
The Indian Constitution recognises panchayats as a system of self-governance, wherein, the panchayats are responsible for delivering justice and ensuring the development of their villages.
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Interesting facts
- In 1959, Rajasthan became the first state in India to launch the Panchayati Raj while Andhra Pradesh became the second state to launch the system.
- The inauguration of the Panchayati Raj was done in October 1959 in Nagpur by India’s first PM Jawaharlal Nehru.
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