The Panchayati Raj bill
• State legislature should decide the powers of gram sabhas.
• All states must have panchayats at the village level. But state legislatures can decide if they want panchayats also at the intermediate (block, taluka etc) and district levels.
• All seats in village panchayats and intermediate panchayats shall be filled by direct election. The seats in the district panchayat can be filled in a manner decided by the state legislatures.
• Seats shall be reserved for candidates from scheduled castes and scheduled tribes in every panchayat. Not less than one-third of the seats shall be reserved for women.
• Every panchayat shall continue for five years. If dissolved before its expiry, a new panchayat must be elected within six months.
• The governor of a state shall constitute a finance commission to decide how revenue from taxes and duties should be distributed between the states and panchayats.
• Panchayati Raj institutions will deal with various subjects, including social forestry, housing, drinking water, fuel and fodder, rural electrification, poverty alleviation programmes and public distribution and community assets.
JPC recommendations
• The gram sabha cannot exercise any powers and that it can perform certain functions. The details of such functions can be laid down by the state legislature.
• The entire country should have a uniform three-tier system of panchayats -- village, intermediate and district panchayats.
• All seats in panchayats at all levels should be filled by direct elections. But only the chairperson of the village panchayat should be chosen by direct election.
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