Because, they consider their villages, villagers and their institutions, such as the Panchayats still relevant to meet their money and other requirements. Villages often have close-knit societies where each individual is cared for, and people are responsible for everyone’s well-being. Do Gram Panchayats (GPs) really matter in this regard? In such a situation, the role of Panchayats and their members, who are close to villagers, assumes importance, when compared to state and central governments. They are required to take necessary steps at their levels on the criteria devised by the state and central governments. State Panchayat Acts also have provisions for Pannchayats to control pandemic at their levels. For example, serial no 23(khe) under Section 15 of the Uttar Pradesh Gram Panchayat Act empowers the Gram Panchayat to control pandemic. Different State Panchayats have different provisions for pandemics.

But what is provided in the Act is not assumed to be known by the Panchayats in most cases. There are more than 2 lakhs and 55 thousands Panchayats in the country, in which more than three million elected representatives, comprising 46 per cent women and 26 per cent SCs and STs, working in the country.

Interestingly GPs can handle COVID-19 like situation effectively if they are made better aware of the law, procedure and COVID-19 guidelines. In the coming years, this would assume greater importance because villages must be kept neat and clean so that COVID-19 and similar eventualities are avoided.

First, Panchayats must function as defacto local governments in rural areas. For this purpose at least they must enjoy clearly defined functions, adequate funds to meet requirement of functions and adequate functionaries to attend the assigned tasks to them. This is a minimum level is to be honoured. What is the reality, however? Available information reveals that none of the State/UTs had achieved 100 per cent devolution (means expected to be transferred to Panchayats) even more than two decades of the implementation of the 73rd Amendment Act.

Second, all GPs do not have an office building from where they can discharge their duties and functions. Except Assam, Goa, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Manipur and Tamil Nadu, in other states these institutions do not have offices. In states like UP and Bihar, problems are very serious. Without offices, how are Panchayats expected to handle the issues of COVID-19 effectively? Where the meetings of the GPs would be held? Where the villagers would come to meet president of GP and chairman of the health and sanitation committee? There is no data on whether all such committees, which are so important in the context of COVID-19, have been constituted at all in the first place. In such a situation, Panchayati Raj would be either in the almirah of the president of GP or in the bag of the Gram Sachiv. When rural society is so stratified on caste and class basis, how one can imagine that marginalized groups would be allowed to go to the residence of the GP president? And, in case they are technically allowed to directly address their grievances, who can guarantee that they would be given the same respect as a higher caste person? Instead of social distancing, it would have been better to call it physical distancing and social solidarity, as expressed by the present Chief Minister of Kerala, Pinarayi Vijayan.

Thirdly, most of the GPs are not endowed with adequate computers, telephones, internet facilities and personnel. How then are GPs expected to having capable networks with people of every hue doing their bit to combat the current situation? In most instances, villagers and GP presidents are doing own bit out of indication from above, but Gram Panchayats mostly lack capacity to handle institutionally.

Fourthly, awareness and capacity building must to be taught to the Presidents and members of Gram Panchayats, as well as other committees and their chairpersons. Lack of clarity on roles leads to misgovernance. A president of a GP in UP was sent to jail by the district administration because he did not keep the returning migrants as they should be kept, observing social distancing. When the camp was inspected and president was asked why procedures weren’t followed, he didn’t have an answer. However, it is reported in the press that food was not served to quarantined persons, so they went back to their houses at night.

Given the condition of Gram Panchayats and their representatives, there is need to provide them with adequate infrastructure in terms of buildings, computers and related facilitates, adequate personnel, both technical and non-technical, proper capacity building of officials and non-officials through developing their inner resources by removing negativity from their attitudes, inculcating sense of ownership of community assets or public assets and elimination of egoistic attitudes by developing proper reading materials and training module. There is urgent need to develop social capital through social re-engineering in rural areas so that an environment of cooperation and coordination is created. This is needed more than the money in the villages. Example of Kerala in controlling COVID- 19 has been globalised. One reason is definitely the empowered panchayats, with capable personnel and effective participatory planning and management. (IPA Service)