Panchayats do not have authority to even buy a broom

 

If a Sarpanch does not attend gram Sabha meetings, is inept and corrupt then the Collector has the power to take action against the sarpanch. He can institute an inquiry or even remove him as sarpanch

 

 

But a collector has about thousand to two thousand villages under him and it is impossible for him to know how good or bad a sarpanch is; whether he is discharging his duties properly or not? On the other hand the people of the village would. The power to take action against the sarpanch is not given to the people, when it should be rightfully theirs. 

 

 

Taking advantage of this fact many a collector has become corrupt and has started the tradition of taking protection money which in hindi is known as “Hafta”. No action is taken against the sarpanchs who pay this “Hafta” but false cases are initiated against the sarpanch who resist this protection money. They are forced to tow the line and are made to do what is not right.

 

 

This example gives us an insight into the working of Panchayati raj system where politicians sitting at the state government levels can control the Sarpanch, the Pradhan and the leader of a village through the authority of Collector and make them dance to their wishes.

 

 

Though a contact is awarded by the U.P. government to supply equipment like pick axe and brooms for cleaning up villages, the contractor is instructed by the B.D.O. to deliver the material and collect payment from the sarpanchs. If a sarpanch does not make the payment he suffers harassment at the hands of the B.D.O. .

 

 

What was shown on the paper was not what had actually happened. The material was paid for by thousands of sarpanchs but on paper it was the state government that had bought all the equipment. This fraudulent activity of the state government gets buried in the files. Under the “Education for All” program, much the same thing is happening all the time in the villages.

 

 

The right to buy educational material against this program is under the Panchayat. But the same high handedness is visible here too. It is seen in various districts of Uttar Pradesh that instead of transferring the allotted money of “Education for all” to the “Village education fund” this money is directly used by the state government. Contracts are awarded for, example, towards repair and maintenance of electrical work in all schools directly at the state level. The contractor carries out sub standard, shoddy work and sometimes not what was required. But the payment for this work is forced upon the sarpanch who is helpless. The Sarpanch is not supposed to make any payment for works authorized by the state government but since the people of the village have no power and neither does the sarpanch they can do nothing, even more so because of the tilt of power towards the centre.