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Panchayats as institutional vehicles for development have been part of the Indian system for ages. In ancient times, Panchayati Raj system prevailed during the Chola period. In fact, Rippon's Resolution of 1881 and 1882 can be taken to be the origin of modern local government in India. It was seen as Gram Swaraj by Mahatma Gandhi. Interestingly, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar was not in favour of the Panchayati Raj institutions; yet, he agreed to give it a place in the Constitution of India in Part IV through Directive Principles of State Policy.
In the year following the independence (1947), Prime Minister Nehru inaugurated the Community Development Programme (CDP) on the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi (October 2) in 1952. The CDP was followed by the National Extension Service in 1953. NES blocks were earmarked as the lowest unit of development of administration. But both the programmes had a flaw: neither of the two was free from the control of bureaucracy. This shortcoming prompted the government to appoint a committee headed by Balwant Ray Mehta in 1957. The committee commended a three-tier system of Panchayati Raj from village to the district level – Gram Panchayat at the village level, Panchayat Samiti at the block level and Zilla Parishad at the district level.
As per the Balwant Ray Mehta Committee Scheme, Panchayati Raj was launched on 2nd October 1957 in Nagaur district of Rajasthan. Andhra Pradesh and many state governments followed Rajasthan. Yet, by the mid-sixties the hype to strengthen the Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) gave way to a growing tendency of centralization and the PRIs descended to ground zero. In 1977, the Government tried to revive the PRIs.
Accordingly a committee headed by Ashok Mehta was appointed to review the working of the PRIs. The committee suggested a minor change in the Balwant Ray Mehta Scheme. The three tier system of PRIs was to be replaced by a two tier i.e. Zilla Parishad at the district level and Mandal Panchayat (consisting of a number of villages) below it. In addition, the committee also recommended the creation of Nyaya Panchayat.
One committee under the chairmanship of G.V.K. Rao reported in 1985, suggesting appropriate improvement in the representative character and strengthening of the capability of the people's representatives and administrative personnel in the PIRs. In 1986, the L.M. Singhvi Committee of the Department of Rural Development, Government of India, recommended constitutional status for Panchayati Raj. In July-August 1989 the then Congress government introduced the 64th Constitutional Amendment Bill with a view to streamline the Panchayati Raj. However, the bill was defeated in the Rajya Sabha.
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