People's Democracy

CPI(M) For Further Improving Panchayati Development

B Prasant

MEETING over a single day on June 18, 2007 , the 22nd session of the state committee of the Bengal unit of the CPI(M) discussed ways and means of further improving the work of the three-tier panchayat bodies: the gram panchayat (GP), the panchayat samity (PS), and the zilla parishad (ZP).

It is now understood widely that the panchayat system has been instrumental in bringing about an amazing growth of the rural economy accompanied by the widest possible extension of participatory democracy.

The system also helped break in a major way the political back of the rural stakes and of the then jotdars-zamindar clique. Re-distributive land reforms, Operation Barga, and the panchayat system transformed the rural scene in Bengal in a short period after the Left Front had been swept to office in the 1977 assembly elections.

“This government will not run from the Writers’ Buildings alone,” declared the then chief minister and senior CPI(M) leader, Jyoti Basu, “it will run through devolution of political and financial power through pro-people and elected institutions, down to the grassroots’ level.”

The state committee meeting had Jyoti Basu present as it had state secretary Biman Basu, chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, and kisan leader Benoy Konar (who presided), among others.

During the discussion, two points were emphasised at the outset.

• Decentralisation and apportionment of political responsibility must be based consciously, strictly and exclusively on a class outlook

• In the task of coordination of the Party, the mass fronts, and the panchayats, many, many more people must be made to be involved in a participatory manner

The state committee has also resolved to attach additional importance to certain tasks.

• Work of distribution of undistributed land must be completed

• Newer fields are to be sought based on the situational reality and innovativeness for creation of wealth and more man-days

• More initiative is necessary for decreasing the number of school drop-outs

• Work of the Awas Yojana must be monitored more closely

• The interests of the minority communities must be looked (as also the interests of the SC and SC communities) through allocation of 15 per cent of the departmental budgets

• More weight is to be attached to the tasks of banking assistance, marketing, and training in self-employment and maintenance of progress of self-help groups.