MANUAL-I

Particulars of Organisation, Functions and Duties.

2.1       Objective / purpose of the Public authority.                  

 Ø      To establish three tier Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) as institutions    of Self Government.

 2.2              Mission / Vision Statement of the Public authority.        

Ø      To enable PRIs to plan and implement schemes for economic development of rural poor.

Ø      To achieve rural prosperity and ensure quality life through PRIs.

 2.3              Brief history of public authority and context of its formation.

 Ø      The Government of India Act of 1935 which provided Orissa with the status of a new province, also made provision for the constitution of a Provincial Assembly. The election for the first Provincial Assembly took place in January, 1937 which included 56 seats meant for elected representatives including 41 general rural seats, 6 for scheduled castes, 2 for women, 2 for landlords, 4 for the Mohammedans and one for a Christian. After independence the new Assembly passed the Orissa Gram Panchayat Act 1948. The 2^nd pre-independence Assembly was elected by limited franchise. The Orissa State Assembly was constituted on January 1, 1948 after merger of 25 princely states with 66 members. In the year 1948 a separate department was formed for the administration of Assembly affairs under the control of Home Department. Till then administration of Orissa was being managed by 8-Departments as detailed below.

1. Home,         

2. Finance       

3. Revenue      

4. Education    

5. Commerce & Labour

6. Law            

7. Public Works

8. Health & local Self Government Department.

Initially the Secretariat functioned at Puri for some time before.

             It was shifted to Cuttack and then to Bhubaneswar in mid 1950. Sri A.F.W.Dixon, ICS was the first person who was in charge of Secretary to Government in Education, Health & Local Self Govt. Department with Sri P.R. Mansfield , CIE, ICS as Chief Secretary.

            In the year 1950 some new departments called Agriculture and Forestry were created. The Labour branch was separated from Commerce Department and Local Self Govt. Department was also separated from Health Department. Thus Local Self Govt. Department became an independent department. Planning and Reconstruction Department hat was just created after the 2^nd World War to look after postwar planning was re-designated as Planning Department in the year 1950.

             The year 1956 experienced some major changes in Secretariat administration. A major department called Political and Services Department was created to handle affairs of New Capital, Community Development and Gram Panchayats among others. In the year 1962 Political and Services department was re-designated as Planning & Co-ordination Department Vide Notification No.8832-RB-7/62/Gen. Dt.12.7.1962. Community Development and Panchayati Raj Department, (CD) thus, became an independent department on July 11^th 1962. At the beginning, the department had 2 branches i.e. (i) Community Development and Panchayati Raj and (ii) Gram Panchayats. The Social Welfare Branch was included in the department w.e.f 8^th December, 1975 and the department was renamed as Community Development and Social Welfare Department.

             Thus Secretariat administration was geared up in 1980 with creation of some new departments. Political and Services Department and Community development and Social Welfare Department were renamed as General Administration Department and Community development and Rural Reconstruction Department in the 90s the latter was again renamed as Panchayati Raj Department.

             In 1994, Women and Child Development Department was created  being a bifurcation from Panchayati Raj Department.

            Panchayati Raj Department had two composite directorates i.e.  Director, Special Projects and Director, Gram Panchayat. Director GP was also Examiner of Local Accounts as per section 100 of Orissa Gram Panchayat Act  of 1964. This has since been amended by act of Assembly in December 2003 after separation of audit from Panchayat Raj department to Finance Department under the directorate of Local Fund Audit as Statutory Authority to conduct financial audit of local bodies viz Panchayat Samiti and gram Panchayats. The directorate of Special projects was strengthened to monitor District Rural Development Agencies for implementation of poverty eradication programmes like IRDP, ERRP, NREP, RLEGP, TRYSEM, DWCRA, IAY, JRY, EAS, JGSY, SGRY and SGSY.

             Various training institution handled the capacity building efforts of this department till State Institute of Rural development was established in the year 1964. In the Seventh Plan Period 3 more extension training Centres were added at Keonjhar, Kalahandi and Bhubaneswar.

             Similarly Orissa Rural Development and Marketing Society (ORMAS) an autonomous body under Panchayati Raj Department was constituted under Society Registration Act of 1960 in the year 1991. ORMAS aims at facilitating sustainable livelihood for rural producers through marketing support. 

            To-day out of 39 departments Panchayati Raj Department has the distinction of being one among the oldest departments. At present 3 tier Panchayati raj institutions have been introduced which has vastly added to its efficiency. Hence, it can be said, that the panchayati Raj Department is an example of change with continuity.

Panchayati Raj Institutions.

             Before coming into force of the Constitution of India during 1950, initiatives were made in Orissa for introduction of Panchayats.

            The details are mentioned below:

            The Orissa Gram Panchayat Act, 1948 is the first legislation prescribing constitution, power and functioning of Grama Panchayats in the State of Orissa. Provisions of the Act were to be extended to different areas of the State from time to time and could be withdrawn where necessary, as circumstances may warrant. It was assumed that successful functioning of Panchayats at selected cases would serve as examples to the surrounding villages, which might prompted to demand establishment of Grama Panchayats. This experiment however did not succeed because in many villages people were misled by the propaganda that in the Panchayat areas people had to pay some additional taxes, fees etc. to the Panchayats without getting appreciable amenities in lieu thereof. Govrnment, therefore, adopted a scheme of establishing Panchayat covering an entire district or a sub-division w.e.f year 1952-53. The provision of permitting withdrawal of Panchayat from certain areas was deleted by the Orissa Grama Panchayats ( 2^nd amendment) Act, 1957.

            The number of Grama Panchayats set up in different areas are shown below :

Initially a Panchayat was being formed in a single village having minimum of population of 1500 or a group of villges having a minimum of population 1000. It was soon noticed that such a small unit is not economically viable. Therefore, some of the Panchayats established in the year 1950-51 were merged in the neighboring Panchayats in order to make them financially viable units.

        During the period 1958 to 1961, Blocks were established in the State in selected areas. In the year 1961 the 3 tier system of PRIs were established in the State covering all villages. The Orissa Zilla Parishad Act was enacted in the year 1959 but Zilla Parishads were nor constituted immediately. Subsequently Zilla Parishad Act was amended as the Orissa Panchayat Samiti and Zilla Parishad Act, 1959 in the year 1961 (Orissa Act 24 of 1961).

In the year 1961, three tiers of Panchayati Raj Institutions were introduced in Orissa. The growth chart of Panchayats after 1961 is indicated below:

2.4       Duties of the Public Authority.

Ø      Empowerment of Panchayat Raj Institutions.

Ø      To provide funds to PRIs, to carryout development works and poverty alleviation programmes in rural areas.

2.5        Main activities / functions of the Public authority.

Ø      To handover such powers and authorities to PRIs in order to enable them as institutions of self Govt. as mandated under 73^rd amendment of constitution.

Ø      To provide funds to the PRIs to implement wage employment schemes and self employment programmes.

Ø      Supervise and monitor implementation of wage employment and poverty termination programmes.

2.6  List of services being provided by the public authority with a brief write up on them.

Ø      The Department provides basic services in critical areas under finance Commission grants which is normally not taken up under different on going schemes.

Ø      This  Department provides following basic services-

(a)    Rural connectivity.

(b)   Rural housing for BPL families under IAY.

2.7       Organisational structure diagram at various levels namely State, Directorate, Region, Block etc.

Ø      The organogram of Panchayati Raj Administration is available in Panchayati Raj Web-site i.e http://orissa.gov.in/panchayat/default.asp

2.8              Expectation of the public authority from the public for enhancing its effectiveness and efficiency.

Ø      Participation of rural people in their respective Palli Sabha and Gram Sabha for transparency in processing their action plan.

Ø      Helping the PRIs in smooth development works and beneficiary oriented programmes.

Ø      Timely feed back on the quality and quantum of works.

Ø      Activate participation of PRIs and the public in implementing poverty schemes.

2.9              Arrangements and methods made for seeking public participation / contribution.

Ø      For creation of awareness among the public regarding programmes and schemes of the Department guidelines, instructions and circulars have been hoisted in Panchayati Raj website.

Ø      Selection projects, executants and beneficiaries under various schemes are finalized by organization of Palli Sabha and Gram Sabha where participation of the people is a must.

2.10          Mechanism available for monitoring the service delivery and public grievance resolution.

Ø      A well defined grievance redressal forum is in place at various levels like State, District and Blocks to consider the grievances coming from various levels.

Ø      Monitoring of the effective ness of programmes are done by monthly progress report review in the meetings and field tours by the higher officers from the Department as well as from the District.

Ø      Vigilance and Monitoring Committees aer at State, Districts and Block.

2.11          Address of main office and other offices and different levels ( please categorize the address district wise for facilitating the understanding by the user.

Ø      Details are available in Website.

2.12     Morning hours of the Office :                 10.00 A.M.