A study of the PAI details and the base line report for the year 2022-23 revealed that so many indicators for the measurement of local development are not required. Using so many indicators proves the saying that ‘ many cooks spoil the broth’, writes Dr. Mahi Pal.
Grassroots governance is a buzz word today. It has become fashion to refer local governance in decentralised development discourse assuming it as panacea for all ills affecting locality and its residents. Various attempts have been made to measure local level development by using a numerous tools in different parts of country. However, there was a demand on the part of the researchers and policy makers to have access to evidence- based results of development at country level. In case of rural area, efforts at national level have been made in the form of Panchayat Advancement Index (PAI), which has been carried out and validated in more than 2.16 lakhs Gram Panchayats (GPs) across the country. Baseline Report of PAI for the year 2022-23 released in 2025 by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, Government of India. This Index is a composite index based on 435 unique local Indicators with 566 unique data points across nine themes.
With this background , let us zero in on a GP which stood at the top on the basis of PAI in the State of Haryana. The name of the GP is Sanjoli which is located in Bapoli Panchayat Samiti in Panipat district of the State. The PAI score of this GP is 71.49%. The nine themes of Localising Sustainble Development Goals (LSDG) and score of individual theme with regard to Sanjoli is given next. These are ( i) Poverty free and enhanced livelihoods Panchayat. PAI index score of this indicator is 73.67% ( ii). Healthy Panchayat where index is 84.19% ( iii). Child friendly Panchayat where index is 72.90% (iv) Water sufficient Panchayat carries score 71.67% ( v) Clean and green Panchayat attracts 69.11% score ( vi) Self-sufficient infrastructure in Panchayat secured 64.10% score (vii). Socially just and Socially secured Panchayat score is 72.46%. (viii). Village with good governance score is 69.82% and ( ix). Women friendly Panchayat score is 67.18%. These scores of nine themes indicate that the GP is healthy as it achieved highest score among-st all themes and the lowest score is in case of Self-Sufficient infrastructure of the GP.
Interestingly, two more GPs which stood at 2nd (Tajpur) and 3rd (Khojkipur Khurd)places of the ten top GPs of the State also come in this block. There is insignificant difference among them as far as PAI score is concerned. For instance, Sanjoli scored 71.49 % score whereas Tajpur and Khokipur Khurd scored 71.31 % and 70.31% respectively out of 100 per cent score.
With above background of the PAI in view , a visit was made to Sanjoli GP with the purpose to see sectoral development that have taken place in the village after physically verifying such progress and interacting with elected representatives and members of gram sabha. We were anxious to know as how could this GP achieved the top position in the State. It is found that though marvelous building of farmers were constructed on either side of the streets in the village yet animals’ dung dumped either side of two roads approach the GP giving bad smell. How it can be envisaged as clean?
We met lady Sarpanch who belongs to SC community. She was Sarpanch in namesake as in defacto sense Sarpanch was her husband. Villagers call him Sarpanch, not his wife. Such sort of practice is common in the countryside in Haryana. She became Sarpanch in 2022 when this GP’s post of Sarpanch was reserved for SC women. Before her Mrs Santosh was Sarpanch and during her time a number of works have been carried out by the GP. The Sarpanch with the help of her husband Pramod Kumar and Rajiv Mehta , the then Additional Deputy Commissioner(ADC) of Panipat made lot of improvement in the village. Fore example,the first important step , she took was to release common land of the GP from villagers who have encroached it for several years.Now, at present more than one crore income is coming from the Panchayat land via auction of that land per year. Panchayat has also been receiving money via other governmental programmes. In total GP might be having in its kitty about one and half crore money at its disposal in a financial year. Besides, cementing the streets of the village park was also constructed. In fact , Sanjoli GP was put up on the track of progress in 2016-17 under the leadership of Mrs Santosh. In fact the efforts of former Sarpanch and her husband and support and guidance of ADC was instrumental in achieving the top position in the PAI mode in the State.
A study of the PAI details and the base line report for the year 2022-23 revealed that so many indicators for the measurement of local development are not required. Using so many indicators proves the saying that ‘ many cooks spoil the broth’. There are also duplication of indicators under different categories of LSDGs. Scores of different indicators indicate that the lowest score is awarded to self- sufficient infrastructure in the village. It might be because there was no Panchayat office in the village. It shows that either meetings of GP either might be taking place at the residence of Sarpanch or some other place where each and every member of the GP might not be attending the meetings due to personal/social /political reasons. On the basis of my own experiences and studies done in the field of rural governance and development if governance of the GP is effective then development of all sectors ranging from agriculture to maintenance of common assets would be in order. Then what is to be done. Meetings of the ward sabha, gram sabha, GP, sub-committees constituted by GP should be held as per provisions of Panchayat Act , rules and bye laws. Secondly, Gram Panchayat Development Plan (GPDP) should also be prepared as per its guidelines. It will take care of all indicators of LSDGs and more because it expected to prepare plan for economic development and social justice including 29 subjects listed in the 11th Schedule of the Constitution.To conclude, focus should be on governance because effective governance will bring positive changes in the villages.
(Dr. Mahi Pal is former officer of Indian Economic Service. mpal1661@gmail.com)
