Panchayat Samiti, Zila Parishad and an old idea

Similar bodies work at the block and district levels. The Panchayat Samiti at block level is the link between the Gram Panchayat and the Zila Parishad at district level. Seen from the top: a State is divided into districts, each district into blocks, and each block contains a number of villages (how many depends on the State).

The members of these bodies are elected by local people, but they may also include the Sarpanchs of villages in the area and local members of the State Legislative Assembly (MLAs).

Panchayat Samitis are made up differently in different States, but their role of strengthening people's participation is the same. They coordinate between Gram Panchayats, for example by collecting development plans from all the Gram Panchayats and putting them together to present at the district or State level.

This helps funds to be given for development projects and for government schemes such as the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana, which builds all-weather roads in rural areas. That is Lakshmanpur's washed-out road again, reaching the level that can pay for it.

At all three levels there are special rules so that disadvantaged people can make their needs and problems heard. And one-third of the seats are reserved for women: that is one seat in every three.

The structure and work of Panchayati Raj bodies differ a little across States, because States have authority over them. But the aim is the same everywhere: to let villagers take an active part in running and developing their villages and local area.

The chapter ends by going back 2,300 years. The Arthaśhāstra, an ancient text on governance by Kauṭilya (later also known as Chāṇakya), describes how a state should be organised and run, how to make the economy prosper, what a ruler's duties are and how to conduct war. It says: 'The king shall establish a sangrahaṇa (a sub-district headquarters) for every 10 villages; a kārvaṭika (district headquarters) for every 100 villages; a droṇamukha for every 400 villages; and a sthānīya (provincial headquarters) for every 800 villages.' The book asks: what would we call these four today? Isn't it amazing that a similar structure was thought of so long ago?