ISSN: 2456–5474 RNI No.  UPBIL/2016/68367 VOL.- VII , ISSUE- VI July  - 2022
Innovation The Research Concept
Assessing The Role of Gram Sabha and Community Participation: A Study of Mashobra Block in Shimla of Himachal Pradesh
Paper Id :  16099   Submission Date :  02/07/2022   Acceptance Date :  07/07/2022   Publication Date :  17/07/2022
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Shveta Sharma
Assistant Professor
Social Work
Central University Of Himahal Pradesh
Dehra,Himachal Pradesh, India
Ranveer
Research Scholar
Social Work
Central University Of Himachal Pradesh
Dehra, Himachal Pradesh, India
Abstract Gram Sabha is the core of local governance for centuries. In modern context it plays a vital role in the functioning of Panchayati Raj Institution (PRIs) as it is one of the legitimate body of all democratic decision making. Gram Sabha is a place where people participation is the key to achieve the real meaning of people centric governance in a developed democracy. In Gram Sabha people lay down their goals and come together to achieve them in a democratic way, through mutual decisions. Inspite of such an institution at local level PRIs are not working as they desired to be. The key cause for this is a lack of public participation and awareness of Gram Sabha. It is important that Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) in association with the State Government must take the required step to enhance rural people's knowledge about Local Governance.
Keywords Gram Sabha, Panchayati Raj, People’s Participation, Local Governance.
Introduction
India is predominantly a land of villages, with roughly 70% of the country's inhabitants living in rural areas. As a result, rural areas serve as the foundation for Indian governance, and democracy should begin there. Mahatma Gandhi also stated that the village, not the great cities, should be the focus of development and government because it is where India resides. In India, we have a one-of-a-kind village governance structure. The Institute, known as the Panchayati Raj Institutions, governs such a minor unit of India (PRIs). The Constitution, under Part IX, under the heading 'The Panchayats,' gives rise to the Panchayati Raj Institute. The Panchayati Raj system was founded in India to provide democracy to rural India[1]. Because PRIs are not a new concept, they are often regarded as one of the most effective forms of government in rural India. From ancient times, India has had a lengthy history and strong traditions of democratic institutions. The ancient Sabhas (assemblies) evolved into 'Panchayats' (an assembly of five respected elders) that became the centre of power for the administration of justice and the resolution of local conflicts. They dealt with higher-ranking officials, from local chieftains to maharajas, who were separated in power and authority. Villages were run as autonomous village republics. This remained until British colonialism brought about considerable modifications and restructuring of the administrative hierarchy[2].
Aim of study 1. To find out the extent of awareness and participation level of people in the Gram Sabha. 2. To find out the effectiveness of Gram Sabha in playing its role in rural development. 3. To find out the role of women in their participation in Gram Sabha.
Review of Literature

Sudipta (2015) The Gram Sabha is the formalised groundwork for the decentralised participatory democracy, according to an article titled "Implementation of PESA, Issues, Challenges, and Way Forwards." However, Gram Sabha are not yet operational enough to guarantee their participation in the process of community development. The absence of public participation and the elected Panchayat members' ignorance are to blame for this. The Gram Sabha must be strengthened by increasing member attendance at meetings so that they can actively engage in governance.
Dutta (2014) According to a piece titled "Panchayti Raj- Three Tier System in India," with the seventy-third constitutional amendment in 1992, the states were supposed to devolve power to the institutions of local self-government. The goal was to spread democracy across society. Only the people themselves know what is best for them and how to participate effectively in the three tier structure to achieve it.
Dhavaleshwar& Ali (2012) in an article titled "People Participation in Gram Sabha and Rural Development - A Study," it was stated how the Gram Sabha, or village assembly, has been envisioned as the cornerstone of Panchayati Raj as a deliberative body to decentralise governance. The fundamental pillars of local self-government are the gramme sabha. However, in the majority of the states, the Gram Sabha is still not a functioning organisation. Appropriate measures must be built in order to strengthen the gramme Sabha and increase efficiency. 
Main Text

Panchayati Raj and People’s Participation
The introduction of Panchayati Raj as a system of local self-governing organisations in rural areas of the country was based on the notion of returning democracy to the grassroots. This was also intended to encourage people to participate in the management of local affairs, resulting in self-sufficient and self-reliant village communities of responsible villagers. In other words, the importance of the Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) can be seen not only in the fact that it aims to establish a local government system, however well organised and decentralised it may be, but also in the fact that it aims to address the problems of democratisation and mobilising the country's entire potential manpower resources for the purpose of economic and social progress at the grassroots level.
Gram Sabha
Gram Sabha has been established in all states as a result of the 73rd Constitutional Amendment. However, the terminology varies from state to state. 'Gram Sabha' refers to a body made up of people who are registered on the electoral records for a village inside the Panchayat region at the local level. This was a model of grassroots democracy based on people's direct engagement. The Panchayat shall serve as the executive body to give concrete expression to the needs and ambitions of the local community, as represented by the Gram Sabha, in order to extend the democratic process to the people in the true sense. Gram Sabha is an institution that allows people to participate in politics. It serves as the foundation for the Panchayati Raj's three-tiered structure. Gram Sabha, as a basic body, would be a face-to-face instrument of direct democracy, made up of all adult residents rather than representatives. (Patel, 2011:16-19)
A basic stage for popularising development plans is the Gram Sabha. At the village Panchayat level, the Gram Sabha would establish an active debate between the village people and their elected representatives about development activities to be undertaken. It is critical to have faith and interest in the importance and operation of institutions like Gram Sabha. These two are inextricably linked to the success of Gram Sabha, and a Gram Sabha set up with them will help the development cause3.
The Gram Sabha is envisioned as the cornerstone of the Panchayat Raj System, with State Legislatures vesting it with tasks and powers under the 73rd Amendment. According to Article 243A, the Gram Sabha has the same authorities and obligations as the state legislature at the village level. The 73rd Amendment produced the eleventh schedule of the constitution, which comprises 29 subjects over which the Panchayats will have administrative control. Adding to this, Article 243H authorises the State Legislature to enact legislation authorising the Panchayat to levy taxes and other fees. Gram Sabhas will study and supervise the creation and implementation of development plans for community improvement4.
Functions of Gram Sabha
Himachal Pradesh Panchayati Raj Act 1994 vests Gram Sabhas with following functions:
1. Mobilize volunteer labour, in-kind or paid contributions for community welfare activities.
2. Identification of beneficiaries for the implementation of developmental schemes.
3. Promotion of unity and harmony among the all sections of society in the village.
4. Approve the Gram Panchayat's plans, activities, and budget for economic development and social justice.
5. The report in respect to development programs of the Gram Panchayat relating to the preceding year and development programs proposed to be undertaken during the current year[5].(Himachal Pradesh Panchayati Raj Act 1994)
Importance of Gram Sabha
Gram Sabha is essential to the effective execution of local self-government. Gram Sabha has a lot of development potential and can play a multitude of unique roles in transforming a subsistence village into an organised unit. Gram Sabha implements a variety of development activities at the village level, such as erecting street lighting and building roads. Gram Sabha participation that is effective and collective is necessary to attain specified developmental goals. Gram Sabha is the decentralised participatory democracy's structured foundation. Gram Sabha meetings allow the public to experience the transparency of village governance at the grass-roots level. Gram Sabha is meant to be a model of direct and participatory democracy. Gram Sabha is the only entity that provides vital insights to Gram Panchayat in order for it to effectively lead local government. Gram Sabha also serves as a watchdog for the village by overseeing the operation of the Gram Panchayat. Only the people themselves know what is best for them and how they might attain it by participating actively in the three-tier structure. Reservation in Panchayati Raj also ensures that weaker sectors and women are represented. (Rout, 2013)
Tools of Data Collection
Primary Data
The interview schedule method was used to acquire the primary data. An interview schedule was designed in order to obtain data directly from the respondent. 
Secondary data
Secondary data was gathered from books, publications, journal articles, and government reports and records available online.
Universe of the Study
The area selected for the study was District Shimla in Himachal Pradesh. It is the capital of the hilly state. The area of the district is 5131sq.km. The total villages in district Shimla is 3347 as per 2011 census of India, Shimla District has a population of 814,010 in 2011 out of which 425,039 are male and 388,971 are female. There are a total 11 Development Blocks in the district and 363 Panchayats[6].
The data for this study was collected from two Panchayats of Mashobra Block in District Shimla. One was Baldeyan Panchayat and another one was Kot Panchayat. In the whole, it includes a total of three villages in both Panchayats. Reason for selecting Mashobra Block was the size of the block. It was one of the largest block in District Shimla. This Block contains more numbers of Panchayats compared to any other block in Shimla district.  Also, it was near the state capital, Shimla. It is about 14 km from Shimla town. One of the advantages of this particular block was it's easier to access from Shimla town for research purposes.
Moshobra Block includes 45 Panchayats in total. The block has 580 villages. Total population of Mashobra block is 86669. Out of this 44789 are males and remaining 41880 are females. (Census, 2011).
Area of Study
Out of 580 villages in Mashobra block, 3 villages were selected conveniently for data collection from two Panchayats of Kot and Baldeyan.  These villages were: Kot, Baldeyan, Shenal. According to census 2011 the population of these three villages is 350, 220 and 358 respectively. Total population of these three villages is 928 persons. 56 respondents were chosen via Simple Random Sampling. During data collection from three villages, focus was mainly on the female population of the villages. The emphasis was on whether the female population of the villages  aware about the functioning and working procedure of Gram Sabha. Respondents between the age group of 21-60 who were more active in attending Gram Sabha meetings were preferred to be the sample of the study. To make the study more inclusive, the emphasis was also given on the respondents from the SC community as well.
Sampling

The sample was chosen using a simple random sampling procedure. A total of 56 people were picked at random from the villages that were chosen. Villages for the study were selected conveniently.
Result and Discussion

Findings of the Study
In the study it was found that the majority of the respondents was educated only to the primary level. Table 1 shows that 41 percent of the respondents were educated studied up to primary level. 23 percent of the respondents educated up to middle school i.e. 8th class. Only 11% of the respondents passed the secondary level of school education. Table also shows that no respondent reached to the level of higher education.
Table 1

S. No.

Education Status

Numbers of Respondent

Percentage

1

Illiterate

05

9%

2

Primary(5th)

23

41%

3

Middle(8th)

13

23%

4

Metric(10th)

09

16%

5

Secondary(12th)

06

11%

 

Total

56

100%
Source: Field work study
This lack of education among the people led to the difficulty in understanding their role in the three tier system.
Table 2
Gram Sabha Meetings attended by Respondents

S. No.

Meetings attended

Numbers of Respondent

Percentage

1

Always

10

18%

2

Whenever possible

40

71%

3

Never

06

11%

 

Total

56

100%
Source: Field work study
The table 2 shows that there are only 18 percent of the respondents who always attended the Gram Sabha meetings in their Panchayat. While 71 percent of the respondents attended Gram Sabha meetings only whenever it was possible for them to attend the meeting as most of the time they were busy in their everyday task. 11 percent of the respondents were those who never attended the GS meetings. It is clear from the above table that the majority of the people attended the meetings when they have no other work. It reveals that people gave preference to other work especially those works which gave earnings to them over the Gram Sabha Meetings.  It is necessary for the people to contribute their time and energy to the aggregated development process by bringing out development issues in front of the Gram Sabha.
Table 3
Awareness of respondents about the functioning of Gram Sabha

S. No.

Awareness to the Functioning of Gram Sabha

Number of Respondent

Percentage

1

Yes

21

37%

2

No

29

52%

3

Never Attended GS Meetings

06

11%

 

Total

56

100%
Source: Field work study
The table 3 shows the awareness of the people about the functioning of Gram Sabha. In the question of awareness about the functioning of Gram Sabha, study shows that (21 people) 37 percent of respondents were aware of the functioning of Gram Sabha while (20 persons) 52 percent of respondents do not have knowledge about the functioning of Gram Sabha meetings. (06 persons) 11 percent of respondents never attended the meeting at all. It is clear that half of the respondents have no knowledge or have no idea about the functioning of Gram Sabha.
Table 4
Women’s participation in Gram Sabha according to Respondents

S.No.

Women Participation

Number of Respondent

Percentage

1

Equal participation of men & women

07

14%%

2

Majority of Women participants

42

84%

3

Women participation are less than male participants

01

2%

 

Total

50

100%
Source: Field work study
The table 4 shows the participation of women in Gram Sabha meetings according to the respondents. It shows that 84 percent of respondents said that there is a majority of women in Gram Sabha meetings. 14 percent of respondents responded that women participation are equal to men's participation. This shows that women attended the gram sabha meetings more frequently than male participants but lack of awareness about the gram sabha functioning was seen as a barrier to achieve active functioning of gram sabha.


Table 5           
Main issues discussed in Gram Sabha meetings:                                      

S. No.

Main Issues

Numbers of Respondent

Percentage

1

Agriculture

05

10%

2

MGNREGA

07

14%

3

Development regarding government welfare policies

34

68%

4

Other Issues

04

8%

 

Total

50

100%
Source: Field work study
The table 5 shows that 68 percent of the respondents revealed that Developmental and Welfare Policies regarding issues were discussed most of the time at the Gram Sabha meetings. While 14 percent of respondents said that issues related to agriculture & MGNREGA were also discussed. Eight percent issues were related to other matters which include reshuffling of the BPL list of beneficiaries, land disputes etc. It is clear that most of the issues related to the development processes discussed in Gram Sabha meetings provide an opportunity for the public to feel the transparency in the administration of villages at grass root level.
Conclusion The study titled “The Role of gram Sabha and People’s participation: A study of two Panchayats of Mashobra Block”, aimed at knowing the status of Gram Sabha in two Panchayats of Mashobra block of Shimla district. The study focused on knowing the role of Gram Sabha in rural development and it’s working. Gram Sabha is an important component of local self-government in India. The study found that at the village level, poor level of education among the people living in rural areas is becoming the hindrance for the active participation of people in the democratic setup instituted by Panchayati Raj. Majority of the population is either illiterate or has attended school up to middle levels only. Examining the other facts about awareness of people about functioning of Gram Sabha, study found that awareness regarding the functioning and provision of Gram Sabha among people is very low. Very few people were aware about the functioning and provision of Gram Sabha. Half of the population was unaware about how the Gram Sabha functions. The study found that in most of the Gram Sabha meetings hardly any social issue is discussed. The focus of Gram Sabha remains on the developmental issues only. The main objective of instituting Gram Sabha was to ensure the participation of people in their self-governance. To attain this goal education among the rural people is the basic requirement and also awareness among the rural people needs to be enhanced. This can be done by collective approach of government and non-governmental organizations. People should be taught about the important provisions of Gram Sabha and its functioning. Well trained and skilled staff at Panchayat level is necessary for carrying out local self-governance through active participation of people. Only by doing this, the dream of self-governance can be achieved and effective result can be attained.
Suggestions for the future Study To begin with, it was discovered that the success of Gram Sabha is dependent on a number of interconnected factors. It was discovered that having a high degree of knowledge and having the proper sort of attitudes regarding decentralised governance and participation are critical for generating better developmental outcomes. Gram Sabha meetings are the primary source of information for planning and execution.
1. The study revealed that people are unaware of the frequency of Gram Sabha sessions which acted as a barrier in their participation in them. The training programs on awareness generation should be carried out. Gram Sabha attendance should be stringently enforced, and elected representatives should be given the responsibility for ensuring people participation in the meetings.
2. Meetings of the Gram Sabha must be called as per the time that is convenient for the majority of members. Meetings should be fixed when all members are free from their commercial activity and other necessary work.
3. To ensure successful participation in Gram Sabha meetings, government bodies should provide training awareness programmes not only for elected members of Panchayat but also for the general public as well. The assistance of social workers and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) should be sought to educate elected members and the general public on the importance of participation in Gram Sabha meetings.
Transparency should be enforced by posting all necessary information on notice boards, including estimations, fund availability, and work completed by Panchayats over a specified time period, in order to foster people's faith in PRI's. In Gram Sabha, a Vigilance Committee should be established, and everyone should be informed about how it works. The committee must convene meetings at least four times in a year. This type of action will significantly reduce corruption and financial mismanagement. Participation of the people is a prerequisite for grass-roots democracy. It is vital to investigate the Gram Sabha in order to decrease the Gram Panchayat members' discretionary power and reassert the village as a social unit. People should be aware of democratic processes and their rights & roles in order to achieve this. Governmental and non-governmental groups should hold periodic awareness programmes and campaigns to address their concerns about their role in participatory democracy.
References
1. https://www.galgotiasuniversity.edu.in/pdfs/Panchayati-Raj-System-in-India-A-Way-Ahead-Rachit-Sharma-Aditya-Bohra.pdf 2. https://www.undp.org/content/dam/india/docs/UNDP-Policy-Brief-on-PESA.pdf 3. https://ijapsa.com/published-papers/volume-2/issue-4/participatory-approach-of-women-self-help-groups-in-strengthening-grassroots-democracy.pdf 4. https://niti.gov.in/planningcommission.gov.in/docs/reports/sereport/ser/bihinter/st_bihch11.pdf 5. Himachal Pradesh Panchayati Raj Act, 1994. 6. https://hpshimla.nic.in/panchayats/ 7. Patel A. & Patel M.(2014) Gram Sabha- The Pillar of Development. Kurukshetra 16-19 8. Raut G. (2013) Women Need More Protection through MGNREGA:Role of Gram Sabha and PRIs.International Journal of Social Sciences, 129. 9.Dhavaleshwar, C.U., & Ali, S. (2012). A Study on People's Participation in Gram Sabha and Rural Development in Gulbarga District of Karnataka State. 10. Sudipta, B(2015) Implementation of PESA, Issue,Challages, and way Forward, International Research Journal of Social Sciences Vol. 4(12), 49-54,