Dr. Bishnu Prasad Mohapatra is Presently working as an Assistant Professor in MIT-World Peace University, Pune. Before joining MIT-WPU, Pune he was associated with Centre for Economic and Social Studies(CESS), Hyderabad, India. He has academic experience including experiences in Research, Teaching and Capacity Building. Dr. Bishnu has 15 years of work experience and 22 numbers of publications in Books and Reputed Journals. Phone: 8374433581 Address: School of Liberal Arts, MIT-World Peace University, Pune, India
The Local Democratic Institutions (LDIs) have been emerged as key instruments of formulating deve... more The Local Democratic Institutions (LDIs) have been emerged as key instruments of formulating development plans and budget for promoting economic development and promoting social justice. The process of formulation of budget at the local levels through these institutions has been gained significant currency in the context of enactment of the 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act in 1992. These institutions have been playing a key role in fostering participation of people in the process of preparation of budget as a result of which the budget making has become participatory, deliberative and citizen centric in nature. Further the Gram Sabhas (Village Assembly) have been institutionalised for enabling participation of people in preparation of budget in the rural areas. The participatory institutional framework and systems such as (i) deepening local democracy (ii) devolving powers to local institutions for formulating budget at their level, and (iii) integrating budget with planning and implementation of development programmes have been observed in the recent years of local democratic reforms in India. There have been emerged a systematic approach of few grassroots level practices of budget formulation through local democracy and integration. This article is a product of research work carried out in tribal areas of two Indian States such as Odisha (located in Eastern) and Maharashtra (located in western parts of India). The key research questions that were designed to address through the paper are (i) How the Gram Panchayats as local institutions have been instrumental in formulating local budget? (ii) How the process of formulation of Budget has been emerged as a system through Gram Sabhas? (iii) and, what are the important stages and practices the GPs and the Gram Sabhas have followed for making budget participatory? On the basis of qualitative data collected from few Village Panchayats of the States, this article addresses the above mentioned research questions through presenting these issues systematically. It argues that in the process of preparing budget through planning, the Panchayats and the Gram Sabhas have been pivotal. However, the budget preparation and approvals in some cases have seemed to be cosmetic and far away from the needs and preferences of the citizens. The issues of citizens participation have not been taken care by the GPs adequately. However, few positive changes have been happened in the case of working of the gram panchayats and their role in transforming local economy through budget preparation and implementation. It is on this basis this article argues for creating more space for citizen participation for making budget more participatory and effective integration of budget with macro level planning and budgeting.
South Asian Journal of Socio-Political Studies, 2023
How does participation of women in the decision making process at the local level supports them t... more How does participation of women in the decision making process at the local level supports them to access the basic services provided by the local governments effectively? What happens when participation of women not achieved the desired goals and local government failed to deliver basic services? What are the alternative perspectives to strengthen participation of women in the local level decision making processes? The Elected Women Representatives (EWRs) performance in the PRIs and ULBs is mixed story until now. This paper is designed to explore these issues through shedding light on participation of women in the Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) in the tribal areas in Odisha, in particular participation in elections, voting, occupying political office or position in panchayats and in the process of implementation of development programmes of the Panchayats. It is attempted to explore the relationship between PRIs and Women’s participation with regard to access to schemes and programmes by women while focusing on political participation in the form of elections, offices, meetings and raising voices. Exploring the field level findings through a mixed-method research design, the findings of this study presents the case of participation of women in 16 villages in tribal areas in Odisha. Based on an exploratory field study which was conducted through using a mixed-method research design and employing quantitative and qualitative data, it has been observed that political participation of women, in particular the women from the tribal communities have emerged as a key issue in the context of working of Panchayats and their role in promoting socio-economic development in these areas. Access to schemes and programmes through participating in working of Panchayats have observed in various cases though there is insignificant correlation between participation and access to schemes and programmes. Efficacy of women’s participation in working of Panchayats and outcomes of such participation in accessing various services have been captured through qualitative data since quantitative data is not available to ascertain the efficacy of participation. It is not obvious that access to schemes and programmes can be achieved through effective participation in Panchayats. On this basis, this paper proposes some alternative ways to strengthen the participatory practices of the Panchayats and ensuring participation of women in the decision-making processes.
This paper reviews the functioning of the traditional governance system and institutional arrange... more This paper reviews the functioning of the traditional governance system and institutional arrangement in the two districts of Odisha. It tries to shed light on the institutional arrangements and functioning of these institutions, the leadership pattern and interfacesof these institutions with the Panchayats in the districts. It reveals that these institutions form an important aspect of the village governance system despite the institutionalisation of Panchayats.Their role in influencing local level decision-making processes, resolving local disputes, protecting customs, traditions and cultural practices and fostering local economic development are observed in many cases. Further, despite the institutionalisation of the three-tier Panchayats, these institutions are still upholding their importance in the polity and economy of the tribal villages. However, the functioning of these institutions and decision-making process has gone through many changes in the context of the functioning of the Panchayats, though such changes have not affected entirely the importance of these institutions. Words: Traditional Governance, Institutions, Panchayats, Tribal Villages
State Finance Commissions (SFCs) support the Local Self-governments in receiving the funds from t... more State Finance Commissions (SFCs) support the Local Self-governments in receiving the funds from the state resources and effectively discharging their functions as institutions of self-government. Constituted in 2018, the fifth SFC has, in its report submitted to the state government, recommended various measures for transferring funds to the Panchayats and strengthening the revenue of these bodies. This article examines the key recommendations of the fifth SFC, recommendations of the previous SFCs and implications of these recommendations on improving the finances of the Panchayats. This article argues that the working of SFCs and their recommendations have in many ways impacted the finances of the Panchayati Raj Institutions on the basis of review of various SFC Reports and secondary data from the government. However, in some cases, the state government has not effectively implemented the recommendations of the SFCs. So, it is important for the state government to implement the key...
The Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) have emerged as instruments of local government since 1992... more The Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) have emerged as instruments of local government since 1992 with the passage of the 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act in India. In Telangana, the state government in the recent period has enacted State Panchayat Raj Act and constituted its first State Finance Commission (SFC). This article is a part of a larger study conducted in the context of the constitution of the first SFC. The article reveals that the own revenue of panchayats is quite low and transfer from the state and central governments constitute two key sources of these bodies. However, these bodies have faced various internal and external challenges while imposing and implementing taxes and fees to augment their sources of revenues. It is on this reality that this article suggests for the devolution of more taxes to PRIs by the SFC for strengthening their revenues and sharing at least 10% of the state’s revenue to meet service delivery functions.
Advances in Public Policy and Administration, 2016
This chapter analyses basic long-term trends in local governance in Germany in their functional, ... more This chapter analyses basic long-term trends in local governance in Germany in their functional, political, territorial and administrative dimensions. The traditions and legal framework of German local self-government form the starting point of the chapter. Subsequently, the role of the local level in the German federal system and the level of its autonomy are analysed. After that, the most important political-administrative actors in local governance examines, such as councilors, mayors, local administration, local branches of political parties and free voters associations. In describing the long-term trends and challenges in German local politics, special attention is paid to local public management, local democracy and citizen participation. Finally, the chapter ends with a summary of the most important aspects of the development of the municipalities and districts in Germany and with a view towards further reform.
The Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) have emerged as instruments of local government since 1992... more The Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) have emerged as instruments of local government since 1992 with the passage of the 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act in India. In Telangana, the state government in the recent period has enacted State Panchayat Raj Act and constituted its first State Finance Commission (SFC). This article is a part of a larger study conducted in the context of the constitution of the first SFC. The article reveals that the own revenue of panchayats is quite low and transfer from the state and central governments constitute two key sources of these bodies. However, these bodies have faced various internal and external challenges while imposing and implementing taxes and fees to augment their sources of revenues. It is on this reality that this article suggests for the devolution of more taxes to PRIs by the SFC for strengthening their revenues and sharing at least 10% of the state's revenue to meet service delivery functions.
This paper reviews the functioning of the traditional governance system and institutional arrange... more This paper reviews the functioning of the traditional governance system and institutional arrangement in the two districts of Odisha. It tries to shed light on the institutional arrangements and functioning of these institutions, the leadership pattern and interfacesof these institutions with the Panchayats in the districts. It reveals that these institutions form an important aspect of the village governance system despite the institutionalisation of Panchayats.Their role in influencing local level decision-making processes, resolving local disputes, protecting customs, traditions and cultural practices and fostering local economic development are observed in many cases. Further, despite the institutionalisation of the three-tier Panchayats, these institutions are still upholding their importance in the polity and economy of the tribal villages. However, the functioning of these institutions and decision-making process has gone through many changes in the context of the functioning...
The traditional self-governing institutions such as the village councils and the caste councils h... more The traditional self-governing institutions such as the village councils and the caste councils have become an important instrument of promoting effective and transparent village selfgovernance system in Odisha despite the institutionalisation (institutional arrangement) and functioning of the Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs). These institutions are strongly linked with the cultural, social, religious, political and economic matters of the people of the villages, both the tribals and the non-tribals. In the case of the tribals, these institutions still occupy a Traditional Tribal Self-Governance in Odisha: Notes from Two Tribal Districts
Planning for promoting socio-economic development of marginalised people has emerged as a key fun... more Planning for promoting socio-economic development of marginalised people has emerged as a key function of Panchayats in India. This scenario is also found in the case of the scheduled areas of Odisha. On the basis of data collected from 300 households in two tribal districts of Odisha, this study argues that institutional arrangement and functioning of Panchayats have paved the way for formulation of decentralised development plans in these areas. The Panchayats have been playing a key role in the ways of formulating decentralised development plans and fostering the participation of tribal people in planning process. Many important issues related to socio-economic development of tribal people have been discussed in the meetings involving planning. Despite this, the goals of promoting socio-economic development of tribal people through formulating decentralised development plans have not achieved the desired results. Inadequate infrastructure and poor data management system at the Pa...
The Local Democratic Institutions (LDIs) have been emerged as key instruments of formulating deve... more The Local Democratic Institutions (LDIs) have been emerged as key instruments of formulating development plans and budget for promoting economic development and promoting social justice. The process of formulation of budget at the local levels through these institutions has been gained significant currency in the context of enactment of the 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act in 1992. These institutions have been playing a key role in fostering participation of people in the process of preparation of budget as a result of which the budget making has become participatory, deliberative and citizen centric in nature. Further the Gram Sabhas (Village Assembly) have been institutionalised for enabling participation of people in preparation of budget in the rural areas. The participatory institutional framework and systems such as (i) deepening local democracy (ii) devolving powers to local institutions for formulating budget at their level, and (iii) integrating budget with planning and implementation of development programmes have been observed in the recent years of local democratic reforms in India. There have been emerged a systematic approach of few grassroots level practices of budget formulation through local democracy and integration. This article is a product of research work carried out in tribal areas of two Indian States such as Odisha (located in Eastern) and Maharashtra (located in western parts of India). The key research questions that were designed to address through the paper are (i) How the Gram Panchayats as local institutions have been instrumental in formulating local budget? (ii) How the process of formulation of Budget has been emerged as a system through Gram Sabhas? (iii) and, what are the important stages and practices the GPs and the Gram Sabhas have followed for making budget participatory? On the basis of qualitative data collected from few Village Panchayats of the States, this article addresses the above mentioned research questions through presenting these issues systematically. It argues that in the process of preparing budget through planning, the Panchayats and the Gram Sabhas have been pivotal. However, the budget preparation and approvals in some cases have seemed to be cosmetic and far away from the needs and preferences of the citizens. The issues of citizens participation have not been taken care by the GPs adequately. However, few positive changes have been happened in the case of working of the gram panchayats and their role in transforming local economy through budget preparation and implementation. It is on this basis this article argues for creating more space for citizen participation for making budget more participatory and effective integration of budget with macro level planning and budgeting.
South Asian Journal of Socio-Political Studies, 2023
How does participation of women in the decision making process at the local level supports them t... more How does participation of women in the decision making process at the local level supports them to access the basic services provided by the local governments effectively? What happens when participation of women not achieved the desired goals and local government failed to deliver basic services? What are the alternative perspectives to strengthen participation of women in the local level decision making processes? The Elected Women Representatives (EWRs) performance in the PRIs and ULBs is mixed story until now. This paper is designed to explore these issues through shedding light on participation of women in the Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) in the tribal areas in Odisha, in particular participation in elections, voting, occupying political office or position in panchayats and in the process of implementation of development programmes of the Panchayats. It is attempted to explore the relationship between PRIs and Women’s participation with regard to access to schemes and programmes by women while focusing on political participation in the form of elections, offices, meetings and raising voices. Exploring the field level findings through a mixed-method research design, the findings of this study presents the case of participation of women in 16 villages in tribal areas in Odisha. Based on an exploratory field study which was conducted through using a mixed-method research design and employing quantitative and qualitative data, it has been observed that political participation of women, in particular the women from the tribal communities have emerged as a key issue in the context of working of Panchayats and their role in promoting socio-economic development in these areas. Access to schemes and programmes through participating in working of Panchayats have observed in various cases though there is insignificant correlation between participation and access to schemes and programmes. Efficacy of women’s participation in working of Panchayats and outcomes of such participation in accessing various services have been captured through qualitative data since quantitative data is not available to ascertain the efficacy of participation. It is not obvious that access to schemes and programmes can be achieved through effective participation in Panchayats. On this basis, this paper proposes some alternative ways to strengthen the participatory practices of the Panchayats and ensuring participation of women in the decision-making processes.
This paper reviews the functioning of the traditional governance system and institutional arrange... more This paper reviews the functioning of the traditional governance system and institutional arrangement in the two districts of Odisha. It tries to shed light on the institutional arrangements and functioning of these institutions, the leadership pattern and interfacesof these institutions with the Panchayats in the districts. It reveals that these institutions form an important aspect of the village governance system despite the institutionalisation of Panchayats.Their role in influencing local level decision-making processes, resolving local disputes, protecting customs, traditions and cultural practices and fostering local economic development are observed in many cases. Further, despite the institutionalisation of the three-tier Panchayats, these institutions are still upholding their importance in the polity and economy of the tribal villages. However, the functioning of these institutions and decision-making process has gone through many changes in the context of the functioning of the Panchayats, though such changes have not affected entirely the importance of these institutions. Words: Traditional Governance, Institutions, Panchayats, Tribal Villages
State Finance Commissions (SFCs) support the Local Self-governments in receiving the funds from t... more State Finance Commissions (SFCs) support the Local Self-governments in receiving the funds from the state resources and effectively discharging their functions as institutions of self-government. Constituted in 2018, the fifth SFC has, in its report submitted to the state government, recommended various measures for transferring funds to the Panchayats and strengthening the revenue of these bodies. This article examines the key recommendations of the fifth SFC, recommendations of the previous SFCs and implications of these recommendations on improving the finances of the Panchayats. This article argues that the working of SFCs and their recommendations have in many ways impacted the finances of the Panchayati Raj Institutions on the basis of review of various SFC Reports and secondary data from the government. However, in some cases, the state government has not effectively implemented the recommendations of the SFCs. So, it is important for the state government to implement the key...
The Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) have emerged as instruments of local government since 1992... more The Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) have emerged as instruments of local government since 1992 with the passage of the 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act in India. In Telangana, the state government in the recent period has enacted State Panchayat Raj Act and constituted its first State Finance Commission (SFC). This article is a part of a larger study conducted in the context of the constitution of the first SFC. The article reveals that the own revenue of panchayats is quite low and transfer from the state and central governments constitute two key sources of these bodies. However, these bodies have faced various internal and external challenges while imposing and implementing taxes and fees to augment their sources of revenues. It is on this reality that this article suggests for the devolution of more taxes to PRIs by the SFC for strengthening their revenues and sharing at least 10% of the state’s revenue to meet service delivery functions.
Advances in Public Policy and Administration, 2016
This chapter analyses basic long-term trends in local governance in Germany in their functional, ... more This chapter analyses basic long-term trends in local governance in Germany in their functional, political, territorial and administrative dimensions. The traditions and legal framework of German local self-government form the starting point of the chapter. Subsequently, the role of the local level in the German federal system and the level of its autonomy are analysed. After that, the most important political-administrative actors in local governance examines, such as councilors, mayors, local administration, local branches of political parties and free voters associations. In describing the long-term trends and challenges in German local politics, special attention is paid to local public management, local democracy and citizen participation. Finally, the chapter ends with a summary of the most important aspects of the development of the municipalities and districts in Germany and with a view towards further reform.
The Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) have emerged as instruments of local government since 1992... more The Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) have emerged as instruments of local government since 1992 with the passage of the 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act in India. In Telangana, the state government in the recent period has enacted State Panchayat Raj Act and constituted its first State Finance Commission (SFC). This article is a part of a larger study conducted in the context of the constitution of the first SFC. The article reveals that the own revenue of panchayats is quite low and transfer from the state and central governments constitute two key sources of these bodies. However, these bodies have faced various internal and external challenges while imposing and implementing taxes and fees to augment their sources of revenues. It is on this reality that this article suggests for the devolution of more taxes to PRIs by the SFC for strengthening their revenues and sharing at least 10% of the state's revenue to meet service delivery functions.
This paper reviews the functioning of the traditional governance system and institutional arrange... more This paper reviews the functioning of the traditional governance system and institutional arrangement in the two districts of Odisha. It tries to shed light on the institutional arrangements and functioning of these institutions, the leadership pattern and interfacesof these institutions with the Panchayats in the districts. It reveals that these institutions form an important aspect of the village governance system despite the institutionalisation of Panchayats.Their role in influencing local level decision-making processes, resolving local disputes, protecting customs, traditions and cultural practices and fostering local economic development are observed in many cases. Further, despite the institutionalisation of the three-tier Panchayats, these institutions are still upholding their importance in the polity and economy of the tribal villages. However, the functioning of these institutions and decision-making process has gone through many changes in the context of the functioning...
The traditional self-governing institutions such as the village councils and the caste councils h... more The traditional self-governing institutions such as the village councils and the caste councils have become an important instrument of promoting effective and transparent village selfgovernance system in Odisha despite the institutionalisation (institutional arrangement) and functioning of the Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs). These institutions are strongly linked with the cultural, social, religious, political and economic matters of the people of the villages, both the tribals and the non-tribals. In the case of the tribals, these institutions still occupy a Traditional Tribal Self-Governance in Odisha: Notes from Two Tribal Districts
Planning for promoting socio-economic development of marginalised people has emerged as a key fun... more Planning for promoting socio-economic development of marginalised people has emerged as a key function of Panchayats in India. This scenario is also found in the case of the scheduled areas of Odisha. On the basis of data collected from 300 households in two tribal districts of Odisha, this study argues that institutional arrangement and functioning of Panchayats have paved the way for formulation of decentralised development plans in these areas. The Panchayats have been playing a key role in the ways of formulating decentralised development plans and fostering the participation of tribal people in planning process. Many important issues related to socio-economic development of tribal people have been discussed in the meetings involving planning. Despite this, the goals of promoting socio-economic development of tribal people through formulating decentralised development plans have not achieved the desired results. Inadequate infrastructure and poor data management system at the Pa...
He has a postgraduate degree in political science and a PhD in development studies, with a specia... more He has a postgraduate degree in political science and a PhD in development studies, with a specialisation in political science. He has fifteen years of experience in teaching and research in the field of political science and related social science issues. He has published articles in various reputable journals and specialises in democratic governance and decentralisation policies.
Compendium on Constituency Development by the Elected Members, 2013
Good Practices carried out by the elected members of the Legislative Assemblies and the Legislati... more Good Practices carried out by the elected members of the Legislative Assemblies and the Legislative Councils in India have been documented which highlights the works of the MLAs and MLCs. The compendium also focuses on the life and time of these elected members and their journey so far in politics and development processes.
Planning for promoting socio-economic development of marginalised people has emerged as a key fun... more Planning for promoting socio-economic development of marginalised people has emerged as a key function of Panchayats in India.This scenario is also found in the case of the scheduled areas of Odisha. On the basis of data collected from 300 households in two tribal districts of Odisha, this study argues that institutional arrangement and functioning of Panchayats have paved the way for formulation of decentralised development plans in these areas. The Panchayats have been playing a key role in the ways of formulating decentralised development plans and fostering the participation of tribal people in planning process.
The chapter reflects the evolution, institutionalisation and functioning of the local self-govern... more The chapter reflects the evolution, institutionalisation and functioning of the local self-governing institutions in the tribal areas of India in the context of the emergence of Globalised Model of development. The decentralised self-governing institutions, otherwise known as Panchayats have been functioning since a long period of time in the country. However, the functioning of these institutions since the last three decades has passed through the era of reforms in which the so called economic reforms under the canopy of globalisation influenced their functioning. Such scenario created implicit and explicit impacts on the functioning of these institutions. Further, the tribal self-governance system, cultural practices, livelihood pattern and above all socioeconomic development programmes also pass through the phase of transition, which creates hope as well as challenges for the tribals.
How does Gender Based Representation Affects the nature and extent of Political Participation of ... more How does Gender Based Representation Affects the nature and extent of Political Participation of Women in the Local Government through representation? How does Representation and Participation are conceptually and theoretically linked and how these linkages can be examined through empirical grounding? Previous studies have discussed implications of gender-based quotas on representation of women without adequately focusing on the nature and pattern of political participation through empirical studies?
Local Governments can be considered as important pillars of maintaining equity through implementi... more Local Governments can be considered as important pillars of maintaining equity through implementing various inclusive policies and programmes for the marginalised communities-the Scheduled Castes (SCs) and the Scheduled Tribes (STs). The nature of liberal democracy and pluralist society emphasises that the views and values of a wide variety of communities should be taken into account while designing and implementing inclusive policies and programmes. In India, the enactment of the 73rd Amendment Act in 1992 has been resulted the devolution of powers to Panchayats for expanding the limits of the inclusive policies and programmes. It is on this basis, this article attempts to explore the inclusive practices of the Pancahayts and implications of those practices on promoting inclusion of the SCs and the STs in rural areas. Examining the case of few districts in Odisha through a field based survey design; the results show that a host of social policies have been implemented by the Panchayats with a special emphasis on the SCs and the STs. However, implications of these programmes are uninspiring and weak after nearly three decades of decentralisation reforms.
Key words: Social Inclusion, Inclusive Policies, 73rd Amendment, Panchayats, India
This paper presents the empirical findings of implementation of the Provisions of Panchayat (Exte... more This paper presents the empirical findings of implementation of the Provisions of Panchayat (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996 (PESA) and its implications for making decentralised governance effective in scheduled areas of Odisha. It highlights how the Panchayats , the Palli Sabhas and the Gram Sabhas as unit of decentralised governance are functioning under the provision of the PESA Act based on field level evidences. In this context, a main objective of this paper was to understand how the Panchayats are institutionalised and made functional in these areas based on the field data collected from two tribal (scheduled area) districts (Sundargarh and Koraput). The main research questions of this paper are (i) what are the evidences of the implementation of this Act in Odisha and how it is implemented?, and (ii) how the Panchayats are functioning in these areas under the PESA Act? Based on the quantitative data collected from 300 households (244 ST Households and 56 others) from the two districts and qualitative data through the process of Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) and in-depth discussions, this paper tries to address the above key research questions. The key findings of the paper shows that in the scheduled areas, the enactment of the PESA Act has been emerged as an important landmark for making Panchayats effective and inclusive. In the case of two districts (Sundargarh and Koraput) the Panchayats under the legal framework of the PESA Act have become instrumental in strengthening the local polity and economy through promoting peoples' participation, formulating local development plans and implementing socioeconomic development programmes. The Palli Sabhas (Village Assembly) and the Gram Sabhas (Panchayat Assembly) have emerged as two grassroots institutions. The nature and extent of
This Paper focuses on the Finances of Rural Local Government in India with a special reference to... more This Paper focuses on the Finances of Rural Local Government in India with a special reference to the State of Chhattisgarh.
Uploads
Papers by Dr. Bishnu Prasad Mohapatra
This article is a product of research work carried out in tribal areas of two Indian States such as Odisha (located in Eastern) and Maharashtra (located in western parts of India). The key research questions that were designed to address through the paper are (i) How the Gram Panchayats as local institutions have been instrumental in formulating local budget? (ii) How the process of formulation of Budget has been emerged as a system through Gram Sabhas? (iii) and, what are the important stages and practices the GPs and the Gram Sabhas have followed for making budget participatory? On the basis of qualitative data collected from few Village Panchayats of the States, this article addresses the above mentioned research questions through presenting these issues systematically.
It argues that in the process of preparing budget through planning, the Panchayats and the Gram Sabhas have been pivotal. However, the budget preparation and approvals in some cases have seemed to be cosmetic and far away from the needs and preferences of the citizens. The issues of citizens participation have not been taken care by the GPs adequately. However, few positive changes have been happened in the case of working of the gram panchayats and their role in transforming local economy through budget preparation and implementation. It is on this basis this article argues for creating more space for citizen participation for making budget more participatory and effective integration of budget with macro level planning and budgeting.
This article is a product of research work carried out in tribal areas of two Indian States such as Odisha (located in Eastern) and Maharashtra (located in western parts of India). The key research questions that were designed to address through the paper are (i) How the Gram Panchayats as local institutions have been instrumental in formulating local budget? (ii) How the process of formulation of Budget has been emerged as a system through Gram Sabhas? (iii) and, what are the important stages and practices the GPs and the Gram Sabhas have followed for making budget participatory? On the basis of qualitative data collected from few Village Panchayats of the States, this article addresses the above mentioned research questions through presenting these issues systematically.
It argues that in the process of preparing budget through planning, the Panchayats and the Gram Sabhas have been pivotal. However, the budget preparation and approvals in some cases have seemed to be cosmetic and far away from the needs and preferences of the citizens. The issues of citizens participation have not been taken care by the GPs adequately. However, few positive changes have been happened in the case of working of the gram panchayats and their role in transforming local economy through budget preparation and implementation. It is on this basis this article argues for creating more space for citizen participation for making budget more participatory and effective integration of budget with macro level planning and budgeting.
Key words: Social Inclusion, Inclusive Policies, 73rd Amendment, Panchayats, India