Why is the state killing the spirit of self-governance?

In its infinite wisdom, it has decided to hold an expensive folklore fest at Bidar during April and the three tiers of the panchayati raj institutions will have to contribute specified amounts of money to the kitty of Karnataka Janapada Academy that will spearhead the All-India event. The ‘chosen’ panchayats are from the districts of Bidar, Gulbarga, Yadgir, Raichur and Koppal —  all from the backward region.

Some of the panchayat representatives have expressed their displeasure at the state’s attempt to siphon off moneys  allotted for development and ignoring people’s priorities, which in these drought-prone districts, would be to ensure drinking water etc. These districts are not high on development indicators that they would want to spare monies, as and when the state directs. They are at the bottom of Human Development Index with Raichur, Gulbarga, Koppal and Bidar ranking 27, 26, 24 and 21, among the districts of Karnataka.

The state may reason out that the funds to the panchayats are given by it and that it is gearing the panchayats to perform a function that has been devolved, with the passing of the 73rd Constitutional amendment.  Indeed promotion of cultural activities is one of the 29 functions that the state should devolve to the panchayats, as per the 11th Schedule of the Constitution.

Applying the principle of subsidiarity -–what can be done efficiently at a particular level of governance should be done at that level and not at a higher level — would mean, for example, the grama panchayat to organise cultural events and promote youth clubs, the taluk panchayats to plan and organise sports and local festivals and for zilla panchayat to establish sports complexes and theatres.

The state’s magnanimity in conducting a national event is outside the purview of the panchayats, whatever may be their combined numbers, in this case 814 grama, 24 taluk and five zilla panchayats.  Obviously, the panchayats are regarded as the extended arm of the State, to do what it pleases. 

It is not as if that the state has devolved the other 28 functions effectively, though on paper it claims so. Agriculture, minor irrigation, watershed, fisheries and many more continue to be handled by the state departments. The panchayats are handling only the salaries of the functionaries, whose line of control and administration remains with the parent department/s. Panchayats merely act as post-offices.

Spirit of democratic decentralisation

The panchayats are dependent on the state and central governments for the release of funds, tied to schemes and programmes. The funds are to be used based on specifications, leaving little scope for planning and decision-making, undermining the spirit of democratic decentralisation. Even the funds released as untied amounts are to be spent based on guidelines.  Among the three tiers, the grama panchayats have the advantage of raising their own revenue – as property tax, rents from panchayat buildings, water charges, fees, fines etc. But ‘own source revenue’ constitute less than 10 per cent of the total revenue as per the grama panchayat data of three years (2005-08) made available to the Centre of Budget and Policy Studies by the Expenditure Reforms Commission constituted by the Government of Karnataka.

It is not clear from which account panchayat funds would be diverted for the planned cultural extravaganza. Also, in the political arena, the panchayat presidents are small fries and would lose out on political visibility and recognition, among the bigwig legislative assembly members, when the event is held. 

The worry is not so much about the quantum of the amounts asked, as one of impinging on the little autonomy that the institutions have and also setting precedence for the future.  The deduction in the salaries of the teachers has become a practice with the government, the recently held Vishwa Kannada Sammelana at Belagum witnessed this and for the folklore fest, they are told to give Rs 200. 

The panchayat representatives have rightly expressed their displeasure – their representation at the local level makes them feel elated, ‘as if riding a horse’ but ‘the reigns are with someone else!’  There are no effective forums either where collectively the elected representatives can build pressure on the state government to revert its decisions.

Karnataka, once known for its radical decentralisation measures, now presents a picture which is a far cry from what was envisaged by the stalwart of decentralisation Abdul Nazir Sab. If the spirit of the 73rd Constitutional amendment should be upheld, the panchayats should become rural local self-governing institutions and not local bodies.