16. Where both panchayats and co-operative societies exist, it is necessary to distinguish their respective functions in village life. Many co-operative credit societies are now being converted into multi-purpose societies, but multi-purpose operations are not yet widely spread. The functions of a co-operative society are governed by the objects for which it is constituted and are limited to the interest of its members. As co-operation develops, the movement will become increasingly representative of the village community. On the other hand, the panchayat is already intended to represent the entire village community, including those who are landless or are not engaged in cultivation, and has to meet pressures from all sections of the population. Secondly, a panchayat has a larger authority, both in tradition and in law, over the affairs of a village than any other Organisation could have. If, by linking up the village panchayat closely with development programmes, village leadership can be successfully developed, cooperative activity will also be strengthened.

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17. Under the existing legislation panchayats are already vested with many of the functions and powers which they need in order to play their part in organising village development programmes. State Governments may consider any amendments that may be required in panchayat legislation to enable panchayats to assume responsibility for such functions as :-

(1) framing programmes of production for the village ;

(2) framing budgets of requirements for supplies and finance needed for carrying out the programmes ;

(3) acing as the channel through which, increasingly, government's assistance other than assistance which is given through agencies like co-operatives reaches the village ;

(4) securing minimum standards of cultivation to be observed in the village with a view to increasing production ;

(5) bringing waste land under cultivation

(6) arranging for the cultivation of land not cultivated or managed by the owners

(7) organising voluntary labour for community works ;

(8) making arrangements for co-operative management of land and other resources in the village according to the terms of the prevailing land management legislation and

(9) assisting in the implementation of land reform measures in the village.

These and other similar tasks can be carried out with enthusiasm in the measure in which a village community becomes aware of its problems and of the power of its members, through mutual aid and co-operation, to solve them. The first aim of village leaders and of extension workers is, therefore, to stimulate an understanding of what needs to be done and of the means that the at hand as well as a growing sense of common interest and responsibility for the welfare of every section of the village community.

18. The process of election by which panchayats are constituted may not always throw up a sufficient number of persons with qualities most needed in village reconstruction, such as good farmers engaged in improving agricultural practice, enthusiastic workers of the co- operative movement and persons whose main interest lies in constructive social work. We, therefore, suggest that for village development programmes there should be provision for a small number of additional members to be appointed by the State Government or on its behalf, so that the panchayats enlarged in this manner function as village development agencies largely on the basis of consent and constructive leadership within the village. We expect that this village agency will gradually be able to draw up production plans for the village as a whole on the basis of programmes accepted by individual farmers and local co-operatives, and will thus become the effective base for planning on a national scale in the field of agriculture and rural development. These suggestions have teen made in general terms because the organisation which will serve best at the village level is necessarily a matter of local adaptation. Conditions vary in different parts of the country and even the term `village' has several different connotations. The points which may be emphasised are (1) the need Or an appropriate agency in the village or

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as near the village as may be possible, (2) the desirability of having as members of the village body concerned with various aspects of village development a few persons in addition to those who may be elected by vote, and (3) the need to use the village body as an effective agency for development in the village and in relation to programmes sponsored by the government.

19. The resources of village,panchayats have been recently reviewed by the Local Finance Inquiry Committee. Legislation in different States provides for various forms of taxation by village panchayats, such as taxation of land and house property, profession tax, vehicle tax, fee on transfer of land and other moveable property, reimbursement of recoveries on account of judicial fines, fees, etc., and licence fees of different kinds. There is provision also for grant$ and contributions by the District Board and the State Government. In some States, village panchayats are entitled to call for contribution in labour which, according to the legislation, could amount in the course of a year, in the Punjab, for instance, to about 48 man-hours, in Orissa to 4 days' work, in Madhya Pradesh to 15 days' work, and in Assam to 36 days' work. Frequently, there is a provision that those who are unable to contribute labour may make an equivalent contribution in money. These legislative provisions are not yet effective on any significant scale. Whether legislation formally provides for contributions in labour or not, it is of the utmost importance that village panchayats should find ways of utilising the available manpower for works in the village or even outside, for instance, by forming labour co-operatives. Legislative provisions may undoubtedly be helpful, but it is by arousing local enthusiasm for improving village conditions and promoting common effort that village panchayats can secure the largest measure of participation by the people in various programmes of development. The Five Year Plan includes proposals for financial and technical assistance to rural areas designed specially to draw out substantial contributions in labour and money and to stimulate local effort in the villages.

20. In some States the practice of making over a share of the land revenue to the village panchayat has been recently adopted. The Local Finance Inquiry Committee recommends that 15 per cent. of the land revenue should be given to the village panchayat. We recognise the advantage of giving to each village panchayat a nucleus fund around which it can organise further effort in the village and attempt to provide the minimum services needed to raise the level of village life. It is necessary, however, to point out that in the estimates of resources on which State Plans are based, State Governments have, as a rule, taken credit for the full proceeds of land revenue. If a portion of the existing income from this source is diverted to village panchayats, to that extent the State Plans will be affected. The more appropriate course might, therefore, be for the State Governments to impose a suitable surcharge with reference to the land revenue and to make over the proceeds of this surcharge to the village panchayat. In addition to the provision of resources, we suggest that State Governments should take special steps to train members and officials of village panchayats and to use village panchayats as focal points in schemes of social education. The results of experiments in the development of panchayats which have been undertaken in different States need to be studied carefully, so that States can benefit from one another's experience.

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RURAL EXTENSION AND THE INTEGRATION OF DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES

21. Within the district, development programmes of different departments have to be coordinated into area programmes at the following levels:

(i) for a village or a group of villages which have a common panchayat

(ii) for a group of villages intermediate between the panchayat area and the development block, such as, the area entrusted to a village level worker or, as in West Bengal, the area served by a union board ;

(iii) for a development block which, according to the practice now adopted for community projects and intensive area development schemes, might represent an area of about 100 villages with a population of about 50,000 to 60,000 and should correspond, as far as possible, to a recognised. administrative area in the district such as one or two revenue circles, a taluk or a sub-tahsil ;

(iv) a sub-division or an area within the district (which may comprise more than one tahsil) for which a revenue officer is placed in specific charge of development and other executive work ;

(v) towns and cities which have their own municipal bodies ; and

(vi) the district as a whole, the district programme being the sum of programmes drawn up, both on the urban and the rural side, for the different units mentioned above.

In virtue of his position as the head of the district, the Collector is the natural leader in development programmes undertaken or aided on behalf of the government. This has led the recent Grow More Food Enquiry Committee to describe the Collector as the Extension Officer of the district under whom all development activities are unified, with specialist officers working as members of a single team. In the area comprised in a sub-division, the Sub-Divisional Officer (or elsewhere, the senior revenue officer assisting the Collector) plays a similar role.

22. We have referred already to the growth of separate departments for different activities in the field of development. These departments have their own personnel for research and other technical work. They also endeavour to reach rural areas through their field staffs, but these are usually small in number and are not too well equipped in practical knowledge. The villager finds himself approached through a number of channels on behalf of the government and receives advice which may be contradictory or ill-coordinated or even lacking in value for his day-to-day problems. Some States have been quick to recognise that the development effort which the government makes is weak, and frequently fails at the very point at which it touches the life of the people. Although large sums are spent and much useful research done, the impact on the village home and on the farm is not commensurate. Intensive work in projects in Uttar Pradesh, Madras, Bombay and elsewhere has confirmed the view that village level workers and a common extension machinery on behalf of the principal development departments of government are vital to the success of rural development programmes. These. conclusions have been followed in the community projects and other intensive area schemes which have been recently introduced. The Grow More Food Enquiry Committee

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has recommended that within a period of ten years a rural extension organisation should be built up throughout the country. The Committee has proposed that at the village level there should be one worker for five to ten villages who will be "the joint agent for all development activities and who will convey to the farmer the lessons of research and to the experts, the difficulties of the farmer, and arrange the supplies and services needed by the farmer, including rendering of first aid for animal and plant diseases." We are in agreement with these proposals and recommend their early acceptance by the Central and State Governments, so that the necessary administrative programmes can be drawn up and executed with speed.

23. While the village is the basic unit of community organisation over the greater part of the country, for particular purposes it may be found that a larger unit is needed. For instance, in employing paid staff for panchayats and co-operative societies, in arranging for supplies and credit or for providing amenities a larger area and population will frequently make for greater economy and efficiency. How large the area should be and what arrangements should be made for effecting the necessary co-ordination and economy in the provision of services and amenities must depend upon local conditions and requirements. The need for such arrangements, however, exists everywhere and has to be taken into consideration in planning the execution of rural schemes under the Five Year Plan.

24. For the area represented by a development block, a common agency for the agriculture, co-operative, panchayat and animal husbandry departments has to be created. In the organisation of community projects and in intensive area schemes as well as in the report of the Grow More Food Enquiry Committee, the view has been taken that for the development block what is required is an extension team rather than an extension officer. In this arrangement, officials representing the agriculture, animal husbandry, co-operative and panchayat departments as well as those concerned with cottage industries, health and education departments are expected to integrate their programmes as closely as possible in tern-is of the requirements of the local population and to work together as a team. The local representative of the revenue department has also to be closely associated with the work of this team. In some States, panchayat staffs have been placed recently under the Registrar of Co-operative Societies. There is considerable advantage in having common staff for co-operative and panchayat work, wherever this practice is considered feasible. This would be in line with the recommendations made earlier regarding the role of the panchayat in village development.

25. Each State has to work out a pattern for its extension organisation which is suited to its own needs and conditions. The essential points which need to be kept in view in making the detailed administrative arrangements are :

(1) a multi-purpose village worker who will be the agent of all the development departments and will represent them to the villager for all their activities ;

(2) at the level of the development block, development officers working as a team with the extension officer, who may be the Sub-collector or, where the sub- divisional system is not developed, other officer closely associated with the district administration ; and

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(3) the position of the Collector as the head of the extension movement in the district, with the district officers of the development departments working with him as a team.

So long as these essential principles are observed, there must be considerable flexibility and freedom in working out extension organisations adapted to local conditions and open to modification in the light of their practical working. The proposals which we have made will place heavy responsibilities on the Collector. It is, therefore, important, as has been already suggested, that he should have adequate assistance to enable him to devote the closest attention to his duties as the head of the development machinery in the district.

26. In the field of development and indeed of government as a whole, at every level, officials have to work in close co-operation with representative non-officials. This is an aspect of such importance that we refer to it later at some length in connection with our proposals for integrating local self-governing institutions like district boards and municipal bodies with the development machinery and programmes of the State Government. We may add a word here about working relations between the various officials who are engaged in development work in the districts. Administrative changes in the field of development will succeed best if different grades of public servants engaged in formulating and executing programmes are guided by a sense of comradeship in a common enterprise undertaken in a spirit of co-operation and understanding towards the people. It is of the utmost importance in development work in the district that all workers, from top to bottom, should have the opportunity of speaking their minds, of making their views and experiences heard when the targets are established, methods determined and priorities set. The feeling that they have shared in the decision which they are called upon to implement is itself a source of energy and initiative and an assurance that the programmes will be implemented. In this connection we may also refer to the need in development work for keeping the door open to men and women of different age-groups to come into the field of public service from other walks of life. This may be secured by throwing open appointments such as those of extension workers to persons who bring the requisite experience and enthusiasm to the task of development.

ROLE OF LOCAL BODIES IN DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMES

27. With the exception of corporations and a few large municipal bodies, local self-governing institutions have remained subordinate, though distinct, units of administration. Until recently there were few basic changes in their legal and financial structure. Their activities have not been integrated sufficiently with those of State Governments. At one stage, Collectors and other officials who presided over local bodies provided a way of coordinating their schemes with the schemes of the State Government. With the appointment of non-official chairmen, however, the gulf has widened.

28. During the past decade, the problems of local bodies have received even less attention than before and indeed, on the whole, the period has been one or retarded development in the field of local self-government. Generally speaking, during these years, local bodies have not

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expanded their resources to any great extent, and have found it difficult even to maintain the existing level of services. Although official chairmen and nominated members have largely disappeared, and the municipal franchise has been widened, in many local bodies the standards of efficiency have gone down and new tax obligations continue to be avoided. In recent years, several State Governments have followed a policy of `provincialisation' of schools, hospitals or veterinary centres, which were run by local bodies and, had their own financial resources permitted, many of the States would have carried this policy further than they have in fact done. Owing to unsatisfactory employment conditions in local bodies such action is often welcomed by their own employees. With the abolition of posts such as those of Commissioners, supervision over local bodies, which seldom went beyond the routine, has further diminished. In post-war development programmes no place was found for local bodies. In the Five Year Plan some of the more important programmes of local bodies are expected to receive assistance, but in the main the omission will have to be made good in practice by treating the programmes of local bodies as an essential part of district and State programmes.