Panchayati Raj the Rural Local Governance in West Bengal: An Overview

In India, the Panchayati Raj generally refers to the system of local self-government in India introduced by a constitutional amendment in 1992, although it is based upon the traditional panchayat system of South Asia. This Panchayati Raj system was formalized in 1992, following a study conducted by a number of Indian committees on various ways of implementing more decentralized administration. In India, the Panchayati Raj now functions as a system of governance in which gram panchayats are the basic units of local administration. The system has three levels: Gram Panchayat (village level), Mandal Parishad or Block Samiti or Panchayat Samiti (block level), and Zila Parishad (district level). It was formalized in 1992 by the 73rd amendment to the Indian Constitution. Currently, the Panchayati Raj system exists in all states except Nagaland, Meghalaya, and Mizoram, and in all Union Territories except Delhi. The Panchayat system of West Bengal, which was put in place in its current form in the year 1978, was the role model for the Panchayati Raj system introduced in the country through amendment of the Constitution. The existing system of Panchayat in the state has evolved over the years through several amendments of the relevant Acts as well as adopting various reforms in improving governance at the local level. This paper describes various aspects of the Panchayat system of West Bengal and how those bodies are functioning at present for proper appreciation of the rural local governance and the development of the rural area.