Difference Between Gram Sabha And Gram Panchayat

Background

The Indian subcontinent has, from ancient times, witnessed governance at its grassroot level. Evidence from the Vedic period suggests that there existed local self-governing bodies, called ‘sabhas’. As time passed by, these sabhas developed into ‘panchayats’, or a council consisting of 5 officials (panch meaning five). These councils existed in every village and were responsible for major official work such as distribution of land, collection of taxes, resolving of disputes etc.

The British Raj initially wasn’t interested in the system of local governance, but soon, the decentralization of powers led to its destruction. It was only after the passing of the Government of India Act, 1935, that the British truly examined the importance of the panchayat system.

During the drafting of the Indian Constitution, the Panchayati Raj system was put under the Directive Principles of State Policy, which comprise the non-justiciable part of the Constitution. Decades passed and the system underwent through various stages of development. The 73rd Amendment to the Constitution introduced the Panchayati Raj Act, which now governs the system of Panchayats in India.

Panchayati Raj System

The Constitution of India, in Article 40, states that the State shall take steps in order to organize village panchayats and grant them the powers necessary for them to function as units of self-governance. After independence, the first committee to be constituted to work for the Panchayati Raj system was the Balwant Rai Mehta Committee, and it immensely highlighted the importance of local governance at that time. In fact, Balwant Rai Mehta is regarded as the father of the Panchayati Raj system, since he was the one who pioneered the whole system and brought its significance to light.

Panchayati Raj system exists in almost all states, except Nagaland, Mizoram, Meghalaya, and the Union Territory of Delhi, and certain other areas. Development in the rural areas is entrusted with the Panchayati Raj system. Hence, it is bifurcated into three tiers for ease of governance – the Zila Parishad at the district level, the Panchayat Samiti at the block level and the Gram Panchayat at the village level. The Gram Panchayat has further two branches, namely Gram Sabha and Nyaya Panchayat. This division has been mentioned in the Act itself.

Members of all these levels are directly elected for a term of 5 years, whereas chairpersons are indirectly elected by the elected members. At the village level, the chairperson is elected as per the state government. These bodies also hold reservations for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, women and other backward classes as well.

Difference Between Gram Sabha and Gram Panchayat

Two of the most commonly used terms related to panchayats are Gram Sabha and Gram Panchayat. Some people might use these terms interchangeably, which is incorrect, because both are separate and possess separate powers and functions.

Gram Sabha is an inclusive term, of which Gram Panchayat is a part. All the people of a village, who have attained the age of 18, and whose names have been enrolled on the voter’s list of the village, would be deemed as members of the Gram Sabha. Hence, the Gram Sabha is a body comprising all the adult members of a village. The Gram Sabha is a permanent legislative body which exists at the village level and discusses the budget and audit reports of the Gram Panchayat. The Gram Panchayat is a temporary body, comprising of the elected members of the Sabha. In other words, the faction of the Sabha which is elected by the rest of the members of the Sabha forms the Gram Panchayat. The ward members and the Sarpanch are elected only for a term of 5 years, and their main function is to promote the welfare and development of their village. Since the Gram Sabha is a permanent body, its members are not elected, otherwise election of permanent members would invalidate democracy. The Gram Panchayat, on the other hand, consists of elected members.

Every decision of the Gram Sabha holds importance, and it cannot be annulled by a body other than the Gram Sabha itself. It looks into the typical matters of finance and expenditure. The Gram Panchayat has certain obligatory and optional functions, based on the priority of works to be done. It holds a meeting every month wherein it discusses all the matters required to be taken up by the members and distributes them accordingly. The Panchayati Raj Act also mentions the grounds for disqualification of members from the Gram Panchayat.

The election commission of each state is responsible for holding elections for each panchayat, and for all the necessary tasks such as preparation of electoral rolls. The powers and functions of the panchayat are determined by the state legislature, with emphasis given on economic development and social justice. The state legislature has also empowered the panchayats in matters of finance, such as levying and collecting taxes, creation of funds for the panchayat etc. Further, any question related to the election of panchayats cannot be raised in a court except through an election petition presented to an authority determined by the state legislature. As such, the independence and freedom of the system have been taken care of.

Conclusion

Democracy in India is found at every level of governance, be it the centre, the states, or the local government. The Panchayati Raj system has become an integral part of India’s rich history and tradition, and even after globalisation and modernisation, the system still exists unharmed and has a hold on the rural population of India. Thus, it should be preserved to the maximum extent, more because trivial matters that ought to be resolved at the local level should not occupy the time of state or central governments. The Panchayati Raj system, in this way, keeps a significant burden of disputes off the shoulders of higher officials. However, there is little to no development when it comes to rural India, and as a result, local governance is also stagnant in terms of progress. Moreover, the Indian society is labelled as backward, unequal, and regressive, because of the age-old patriarchal norms it follows, which are discriminatory towards a number of groups such as backward classes and women. A simple yet effective means to mitigate this issue would be educating the masses. Setting up educational institutions will not only help change the mindset of the common man, but it will also create employment and literacy in the rural areas. Development needs to be at the grassroot level, only then can we expect development on the whole.

Zara Suhail Ahmed

Zahra is a student at Aligarh Muslim University, pursuing a 5-year B.A. LLB course. Currently in her 4th year, Zahra opted for Law after completing most part of her schooling from Cambridge School, New Delhi. Zahra has interned under a few lawyers and firms, participated in various moot courts and similar events, and is proficient in research and written content. A strong believer that education is the greatest virtue, Zahra seeks to learn from every platform and individual, whether working alone or as a team. Although Zahra is keenly interested to pursue ADR (Alternate Dispute Resolution) as a career, she has kept her options open and is interested in examining the different career prospects that her profession has to offer. Zahra has diversified interests apart from her professional life as well. Not only a successful lawyer, but she also aspires to become a productive human being.