Which class wields influence over panchayats?
Do landless agricultural workers have sufficient influence over the working of panchayats? What proportion of members from these households, constituting 40-50% of the rural population, find representation in the panchayats? As per government survey6, in 1978, of 100 gram panchayats, 6.5% of the elected members were landless (agricultural workers or bargadars). Agricultural households holding less than 3 acres were represented by 22% of the gram panchayat members whereas land owning households were represented by 51% of the members. Non-agricultural households were represented by 43% of the gram panchayat members. [One of the then advisors to the government of West Bengal, Dr. Satyabrata Sen, estimated [8] that in 1979, only 7% of panchayat members belonged to the landless strata]. After the 1983 elections, in a survey6 done over 200 gram panchayats, it was seen that 5.5% of the elected members were from landless households and 52% members were from land owning households. 43% members
