Gram Panchayat Initiatives For The Development Of Marginalized Sections In India: A Study From Selected States

Abstract

In the Indian context, the disadvantaged sections constitute SCs, STs OBCs, and minorities of Muslim and Christian religions. The recent planned development strategies have given special focus to involve the marginalised people in the mainstream of development through various initiatives by the central and state governments. The strategies are aiming to empower them by providing special provisions to participate in decision making process of local governance in planning and implementation of development schemes and to avail opportunities like wage employment, skill development for self-employment, access and use of basic amenities as well as individual needs, basic education and health care services to improve their socio and economic conditions. In order to involve the excluded sections, central government made many vital steps through constitutional provisions for strengthening the Gram Panchayats as bottom most planning and delivery mechanism by devolution of powers and functions. But, reality many cases, Gram Panchayats are deprived of resources due to incapable leadership or influence of the local power structure or political hindrances, on the other hand due to lack of good leadership, the panchayat system exclude some sections of people for many well known reasons. This study made an attempt to understand and identify the status of functioning of some of the better performing gram panchayats and their role in development of marginalized sections by various rural development initiatives. It also collected peopl’s opinion about the type of development interventions of the government made positive impact on their life upliftment through Gram Panchayat.