Don’t municipality and Panchayats already provide local self-governance?
Local self-governance means giving citizens — through their small, manageable assemblies, such as a village council or an urban neighbourhood — the power to take decisions on their local affairs, such as road, school, healthcare, sanitation, ration shop, etc. Despite the intent of the 73rd and 74th Constitutional amendments to turn municipalities and Panchayats into institutions that will allow greater citizens’ participation in decision making, most local bodies have continued to keep citizens away from its discussions and decision-making processes. In fact, even in rural areas, where Gram Sabhas, consisting of all voting-age residents of a village, exist as Constitutionally-mandated bodies, citizens’ participation in decision making has largely been a non-starter. There are no counterparts of Gram Sabhas in urban areas of the country.
