A Chance to Empower The ‘Countrified’.
After a year of pause and hold, the local
body elections are going to be held in Andhra Pradesh. But The importance of
Panchayati Raj institutions is very less understood by the common public and
these elections are usually considered as a tool for the political masters to
consolidate the influence of their parties in the rural areas.
In the world’s largest democracy, The
Panchayati Raj System can be considered as the best tool for the decentralization
of power. The soul and heart of our country are its villages, Panchayati Raj
Elections give the rural citizens to explore both the dimensions of democracy;
participation and representation.
The Panchayats grants power to the Typical
Indian Women who are well known for managing the household needs so that they
can prove that they are also capable of managing and tackling the problems
raised in their hamlets and It also
releases the liberalizing force to the socially and economically disadvantaged
groups.
The rural development programs like
primary education, health centers, agricultural development, Water Supply,
Drainage Systems, Transportation facilities, etc., are under the supervision of
the Panchayati Raj Institutions. The Panchayat Raj System provides rostrum like
Gram Sabhas to the rural citizens to discuss the village level development
activities and problems.
So, the future of a village depends on the
leadership at the Panchayat level and as mentioned above, Villages are the
heart of the nation and this implicates that if we fail to make use of the
Panchayati Raj Elections properly, there will be negative consequences that
might affect the nation.
It is a perfect time for people to realize
the importance of Panchayati Raj and to put an end to the game of the political
biggies using the local body elections as a mere tool to prove their strength at
root levels. It is the right moment for the right-minded individuals especially
for the youth of the state to educate the uneducated about the importance of the
Panchayati Raj System and the local body elections.
And aftermath, the state government should
stop being reluctant in devolving the finances to the panchayats and should make
them as autonomous as possible and it should also realize that instead of
creating confusion among the people of the state by splitting up the capital
under the concept of decentralization, it would be even better to empower the local
institutions like the Panchayats, District Planning Committees, etc., as an act of decentralization because it
encourages the rural citizens to be more participative in democratic process.
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