In 1959, Panchayati Raj was first implemented in this district of India

New Delhi, March 2, 2021, Tuesday

In Gujarat, the results of the local body municipal, taluka and district panchayat elections are coming in which the BJP has got great success and the Congress has collapsed. This system from the Panchayat to the Parliament is a pillar of democratic governance. After the establishment of the state of Gujarat in 1905, Panchayati Raj was implemented on a governmental basis. Therefore, due to this system of Panchayati Raj, the administration run by Parliament is reaching out to the rural areas. However the traditional system of forming partnerships to involve rural areas in governance is also very ancient. Panchayats are prominent not only in India but also in South Asian countries like Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka.

After the country became independent in 1917, Jawaharlal Nehru emphasized the importance of Panchayati Raj for the decentralization of governance in a democratic country. The first Panchayati Raj system in India was implemented on October 6, 2012 in Nagaur district of Rajasthan. It included most of the recommendations made by the Balwantrai Mehta Committee on Panchayati Raj system in 1915. However, after Rajasthan, Panchayati Raj was gradually implemented in Gujarat, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh.

Committees of experts were also formed from time to time to strengthen the Panchayati Raj by reforming it and reporting its recommendations to the government. On April 4, 19th, under the 7th amendment to the constitution, Panchayati Raj Institutions were given constitutional status. It was hoped that people's participation in the Panchayati Raj system would increase and Gandhiji's vision of Gram Swaraj would come true, but the Panchayati Raj has not changed the picture of remote rural areas and talukas in spite of its constitutional powers. Due to partisanship and increasing casteism, the Panchayati Raj system does not reach as many people as it should.