Previous Year Question
With reference to the recommendations of the Ashok Mehta Committee (1977) on Panchayati Raj, which of the following statement/s is/are correct?
The three tier system of Panchayati Raj should be replaced by the two tier system.
A block should be the first point for decentralization under popular supervision below the state level.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
Code:
Only 1
Both 1 and 2
Only 2
Neither 1 nor 2
Correct Answer: A
Detailed Solution
Statement 1 is correct. The Ashok Mehta Committee recommended replacing the existing three-tier Panchayati Raj structure with a two-tier structure. The proposed system consisted of the Zila Parishad at the upper level and the Mandal Panchayat below it. The Mandal Panchayat was envisaged for a group of villages.
This recommendation was an important departure from the three-tier structure associated with the Balwant Rai Mehta Committee. The Ashok Mehta Committee attached greater importance to the district as a major administrative and planning unit in Panchayati Raj.
Statement 2 is incorrect. The Committee regarded the District, not the Block, as the important first point of democratic decentralisation below the State level. Therefore, the statement identifying the Block as the first point of decentralisation does not represent the Committee's recommendation.
The Committee's recommendations were not confined to structural change. It also emphasised adequate functional and financial devolution, regular elections and participation of political parties in Panchayat elections.
For examination purposes, remember—
Balwant Rai Mehta → Three-tier system
Ashok Mehta → Two-tier system + District as an important decentralised unit