ARINDAM GANGULY, OP
Bhubaneswar: The Devolution Index Report on panchayats in the country has placed Odisha under the category of ‘medium scoring’ states along with Andhra Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. However, neighbouring states like West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, and eight more have ranked top in the list. The report provides insights into the progress of decentralisation across states and Union Territories, according to the ministry of Panchayati Raj.
The report, titled “Status of Devolution to Panchayats in States: An Indicative Evidence Based Ranking, 2024” was unveiled by Union Minister of State, Panchayati Raj Ministry, SP Singh Baghel in New Delhi Thursday.
According to the report, Odisha’s performance varies across six dimensions, offering a nuanced view of the state’s progress in devolving power to its Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs). With an overall score of 50.03, Odisha has been positioned as a ‘medium scoring’ state in the Devolution Index (DI). The scoring has been made taking into consideration various dimensions of development.
In the ‘Framework’ dimension, the state has a score of 69.20. This dimension assesses the implementation of mandatory constitutional requirements such as holding regular panchayat elections, reserving seats for women, Scheduled Castes, and Scheduled Tribes, establishing State Election Commissions, State Finance Commissions, and District Planning Committees. Odisha’s score in the ‘Functions’ dimension is 57.46. This dimension evaluates the functions devolved by the state to panchayats and the role of panchayats in social justice and economic development schemes. The state scores 53.57 in the ‘Finances’ dimension. This dimension focuses on the financial resources available to panchayats, including transfers from Central and state governments, the functioning of State Finance Commissions, the power to collect revenue, and expenditure by panchayats. Odisha is among the states that have released and utilised the funds of the 15th Finance Commission on time, the report states.
Along with Maharashtra, Odisha is one of the states where panchayats incur a significant percentage of the total public expenditure. Odisha has a score of 27.42 in the ‘Functionaries’ dimension. This dimension examines the physical infrastructure of panchayats, e-connectivity, and the sanctioned and actual staff position. “Odisha, along with Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Punjab, and the Union Territory of Ladakh, needs to focus on developing infrastructure for the better functioning of panchayats,” the report points out. The state’s score in ‘Capacity Enhancement’ is 43.43. This dimension assesses the training institutions and training activities for elected representatives and officials. The state scores 51.92 in the ‘Accountability’ dimension. This dimension evaluates the accounting and auditing of panchayats, social audits, the functioning of Gram Sabhas, transparency, anti-corruption measures, and panchayat assessment and incentivisation.
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In the ‘Functions’ dimension, Odisha, along with Tamil Nadu and Rajasthan, demonstrates a higher level of panchayat involvement in important schemes. Odisha has been identified as a state where panchayats play a significant role in public expenditure, sharing the top position with Maharashtra. “While Odisha shows strengths in ‘Framework’, ‘Functions’, ‘Finances’, and ‘Accountability’, there is room for improvement in ‘Functionaries’ and ‘Capacity Enhancement’,” the report adds. It suggests that Odisha has made notable progress in devolving functions to panchayats and ensuring their involvement in important schemes.
