Three-Tier Structure: Gram Panchayat, Panchayat Samiti and Zila Parishad

At a Glance

• What it is The uniform structure of rural local government
• Article Article 243B
• Tiers Village, intermediate and district
• Exception States with population up to 20 lakh may skip the intermediate tier
• Exam link UPSC Prelims, Polity: Local Government: Panchayats and Municipalities

Where Does It Fit?

This is the third topic of the category on Local Government. The 73rd Amendment brings uniformity in the structure of Panchayati Raj throughout the country by providing a three-tier system in every state, replacing the varied patterns that states had adopted.

What the Constitution Provides

Panchayats are constituted at the village, intermediate and district levels (Article 243B). A state having a population not exceeding 20 lakh may not constitute panchayats at the intermediate level. The Act defines the terms: a panchayat is an institution of self-government for rural areas; a village is one specified by the Governor by notification and includes a group of villages; the intermediate level lies between the village and district levels as specified by the Governor; and the district means a district in a state. All members of panchayats at the three levels are elected directly by the people. The chairpersons at the intermediate and district levels are elected indirectly, by and from among the elected members, while the chairperson of a village panchayat is elected in the manner the state legislature determines. The chairperson and other members, directly or indirectly elected, have the right to vote in the meetings. The state legislature may provide for representation of the chairpersons of lower tiers in higher tiers, and of MPs and MLAs in the panchayats within their constituencies.

The Three Tiers Compared

The Balwantrai Mehta Committee (1957) recommended the three tiers, organically linked by indirect elections, with the village panchayat directly elected and the samiti and parishad indirectly constituted, and with the district collector as chairman of the zila parishad. The National Development Council accepted the recommendations in January 1958 but left the states free to evolve their own patterns, subject to identical basic principles.

Variations Before 1992

By the mid-1960s most states had created Panchayati Raj institutions, with differences in the number of tiers, the relative position of samiti and parishad, tenure, composition, functions and finances. Rajasthan adopted the three-tier system, Tamil Nadu the two-tier and West Bengal the four-tier. In the Rajasthan-Andhra Pradesh pattern, the panchayat samiti was powerful because the block was the unit of planning and development; in the Maharashtra-Gujarat pattern, the zila parishad was powerful because the district was the unit. Some states also set up nyaya panchayats, judicial panchayats to try petty civil and criminal cases. Ashok Mehta (1978) suggested a two-tier system of zila parishad and mandal panchayat; the G.V.K. Rao Committee (1985) and Thungon Committee (1988) made the Zila Parishad the pivot of the system, and the Thungon and Gadgil Committees recommended the three-tier model that the 73rd Amendment adopted.

Committees and Study Teams

Since 1960 many study teams and committees have examined the working of Panchayati Raj, including the Committee on Rationalisation of Panchayat Statistics (V.R. Rao, 1960), the Study Team on Panchayati Raj Administration (V. Iswaran, 1961), the Study Team on Nyaya Panchayats (G.R. Rajgopal, 1962), the Study Team on the Position of Gram Sabha (R.R. Diwakar, 1963), the Study Team on Panchayati Raj Finances (K. Santhanam, 1963), the Committee on Panchayati Raj Elections (K. Santhanam, 1965) and the Committee on Community Development and Panchayati Raj (Daya Choubey, 1976). After constitutionalisation, further bodies include the Task Force on Devolution of Powers and Functions (Lalit Mathur, 2001), the Expert Group on Planning at the Grassroots Level (V. Ramachandran, 2005) and the Expert Committee on Leveraging Panchayats for Efficient Delivery of Public Goods and Services (Mani Shankar Aiyar, 2012).

Uniformity and Flexibility

The 73rd Amendment ensures uniformity in the structure, but gives the states room to adapt. The Governor specifies the intermediate level; a small state may skip it; the state legislature decides the manner of election of village chairpersons and decides the representation of chairpersons and legislators. The Panchayati Raj Acts adopted by the states in 1993 and 1994 gave effect to the new structure. The ARC noted that the real strength of the panchayats depends on devolution of functions, funds and functionaries, which has been uneven.

Why Is This Topic Important?

• Basic structure Three tiers and the 20-lakh exception
• Election pattern Direct for members; indirect for chairpersons of higher tiers
• Historical patterns Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal

What Came Next?

The next topic covers reservation of seats in panchayats under Article 243D.

Key People and Terms

• Gram Panchayat Village-level body
• Panchayat Samiti Block-level body
• Zila Parishad District-level body
• Intermediate level Between village and district
• Nyaya Panchayat Village court

Exam Corner

Mains Angle

Questions on this topic usually ask about uniformity versus state diversity. Use these points to add depth.

• Uniform structure Three tiers across states
• Exceptions Small states
• Election method Direct and indirect
• Pre-1992 diversity Two-, three- and four-tier states