Local area development scheme and panchayats in India: (Need for interface between the elected panchayat representatives and MPs/MLAs)
- Bihar Journal of Public Administration
- 19(1), Jan-Jun, 2022: p.16-25
The Members of the Parliament and the Members of the Legislative Assembly have not only powers to determine the direction and efficacy of government policy, but also they are empowered to utilise the amount of public money made available under developmental scheme (s) in their constituencies based on locally felt needs. However, the analysis of the local area development fund scheme, during the past three decades, reveals several deficiencies in executing the scheme, despite central and state governments’ efforts to revise guidelines from time to time to plug the loopholes. The executive agencies or the representatives have flouted the guidelines many times, and thus, the scheme could not contribute in creating durable community assets in the hinterland; on the other hand, the elected representatives used it to gain political mileage in the elections. implementation of the scheme can only be effective if it largely depends on the participation of Panchayat representatives and field-level functionaries in identification, prioritising, and execution of the works. In this regard, meaningful interaction between Panchayat representatives and Members of Parliament and State Legislatures can contribute greatly to a country’s democratic culture, particularly in planning and implementation of local area development schemes. – Reproduced
LAD, Local Needs; Elected Representatives; Development; Panchayat, MP/MLAs