Social Accountability Mechanisms (SAMs) enable transparency and accountability of Local Self-Governing Institutions (LSGIs) in the implementation of development programs. An important question to be addressed is, "what explains the lack of effective participation of beneficiaries in social accountability mechanisms organized in local self-governing institutions?".
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List of Appendix
Introduction
- Introduction
- Research questions and objectives of the study
Beneficiary participation in Social Accountability Mechanisms (SAMs) is essential to reduce the governance gap that exists in the delivery of public goods and services in the Local Self-Governing Institutions (LSGIs) because it allows beneficiaries to monitor development policy decisions (Gibson and Woolcock, 2008). The study conducted an in-depth analysis of the challenges of beneficiary participation in Barpeta district of Assam.
Map of Assam and its districts
- Rationale of the study and case selection
- Argument of the study
- Understanding key concepts
- Methodology and research design
- Profile of the study areas and the respondents: Barpeta district
- Chapter layout of the thesis
The local politicians elected to the village panchayats are responsible for the implementation of the schemes. Below we provide the profile of the selected villages of Barpeta district in the form of a table.
Theorizing participation and social accountability mechanisms in local self-governing institutions
Introduction
The literature review is followed by a brief discussion of the variables and the basic assumptions used to investigate the research questions in this study. After analyzing the existing literature, the chapter discusses the framework of the argument to analyze the problem statement.
Introducing the government-funded rural development schemes
Despite all these provisions, the Indira Awas Yojana encountered challenges during its implementation in various parts of the country. This is evident from the report of the Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India, which stated that the Indira Awas Yojana “addressed the housing need in rural areas.
Conceptualizing participation and participatory governance
However, these initiatives have failed to involve and empower women in decision-making at the local level. What are the challenges in the functioning of social accountability mechanisms in the local self-government.
Patronage politics and its effects on beneficiary participation in local self-governing institutions
These studies also examine how this has an impact on the political participation of beneficiaries (Bardhan et al, 2008). Watson could not challenge entrenched power structures at the local level due to the collusion of elites (Mosse, 1994; Leonardo and Leonardo, 2004).
Social conditions, cultural norms and the effects on beneficiary participation in local self-governing institutions
However, increasing the representation of women does not necessarily guarantee effective participation in the decision-making process of local self-government institutions. Datta and Singh, examined women's participation in the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme in Birbhum district of West Bengal.
Assumptions of the study
Summary of the chapter
Social responsibility mechanisms, such as social audit, are intended to monitor the implementation of development programs. Gender norms also challenge the participatory rights of female beneficiaries to effective participation in social responsibility mechanisms. Due to existing structural conditions and norms, elites act as key decision-makers in the mechanisms of social responsibility.
However, politicians at the local level politicize the new participatory spaces created by these mechanisms of social responsibility. The study also uses this body of literature to understand the challenges of beneficiary participation in CSR mechanisms in Barpeta district, Assam.
Historical background of beneficiary participation and local self- governing institutions with special reference to Assam
Introduction
Origin of local self-governing institutions in India
The first draft of the Constitution of India did not contain any provision for panchayat. The establishment of the Ashok Mehta Committee proved to be a turning point in the history of panchayati raj institutions in India (Mathew, 1995). The committee report suggested that panchayati raj institutions should be transformed into political bodies with the inclusion of political parties and elections to panchayats.
The engagement of political parties made people aware of the participatory practices available to them in panchayati raj institutions. 5 Article 243 G (Eleventh Schedule) of the Constitution of India designated 29 subjects with a view to devolving power to the panchayats.
History of Local Self-governing Institutions in Assam
In 1972, the Assam Panchayati Raj Act was passed, which provided for a two-tier system of panchayats, gaon panchayats at the village level and mohkuma parishads at the sub-divisional level. The law also provided for the position of president and chief executive councilor. At the same time, the Act increased the powers of the state government and bureaucrats over control, coordination and other related matters of panchayats.
All the service related matters of the staff will be assigned by the state government (Mathew, 1995). The Assam Panchayat Act, 1994 was in accordance with the 73rd Amendment of the Constitution of India.
Beneficiary participation in local self-governing institutions in India: Drawing lessons from other states in India
Some of the experiences of social auditing in different states of India are analyzed as follows. Scholars reveal that the social audit conducted in the state was useful to some extent. The State Institute of Rural Development (SIRD), now known as State Institute of Panchayat and Rural Development (SIPRD), acted as the Social Audit Unit (SAU) to conduct the social audit in various districts in Assam.
As per the guidelines of Mahatma Gandhi's National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, social audit reports were to be placed in gram sabhas for discussion. The State Institute of Rural Development also asserted that rural people played a proactive role in the social audit process.
Summary of the chapter
In summary, social accountability mechanisms such as social audit are crucial to address. In theory, the effects of using social responsibility mechanisms such as social auditing are crucial from a developmental perspective. Experts have documented reforms that can be implemented in social accountability mechanisms such as social audit or participatory planning.
Despite efforts, the social audit process proved to be ineffective due to the clientelistic politics. Marginalized beneficiaries such as poor workers under the scheme were excluded from the social audit process (Rajsekhar, Lakha and Manjula, 2013).
Understanding social accountability and beneficiary
Introduction
Social conditions of Assam and Barpeta district
The data takes into account the income of the highest earning household member in Assam and Barpeta district in the year 2011. In Barpeta district, it was recorded that in number) of the rural households had less than Rs. In district Barpeta in number) of rural households own mechanized farm equipment whereas in number) have irrigation equipment (such as diesel/kerosene/electric pump set/sprinkler/drip irrigation system etc.).
In Barpeta, approximately part of the population consists of illiterates, which is higher than the state average. 106974) population is estimated to have secondary education in Barpeta district. These figures may indicate that housing facilities in terms of ownership of houses by the villagers are relatively better in Barpeta district compared to the state average.
Assessing beneficiary participation in social accountability mechanisms in local self- governing institutions in the district of Barpeta
Lack of information mainly affected beneficiary participation in social accountability mechanisms, especially the social audit processes. The entire social audit process of 2014 (November) in Assam allowed participatory spaces to the beneficiaries in three ways (a) participation of beneficiaries in ground level verification of work carried out by the panchayats under the rural development schemes (such as the Mahatma Gandhi National Employment Guarantee Scheme and the Indira Awas Yojana); (b). Some beneficiaries were present in the social audit forums, but they could not participate effectively.
Participation of beneficiaries during door-to-door visits of the social audit team was even less. Our survey shows that most of the beneficiaries showed mere presence in the social audit forums.
Patronage politics and beneficiary participation in social accountability mechanisms in local self-governing institutions: Results and discussion of fieldwork data collected
It was revealed that the representatives of the Gaon Panchayat in Batagaon village were mostly affiliated with the ruling political parties (either Bharatiya Janata Party or Axom Gana Parishad). Elected representatives of gaon (gram) panchayats include the elected gaon (gram) panchayat members including the gaon (gram) panchayat president. Elected representatives of the gaon (gram) panchayat in Manikpur and Batagaon were affiliated with the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP).
Elected representatives of the gaon panchayat of Baghbar were affiliated with the Indian National Congress (INC). One of the interview respondents (an elected representative of the gaon panchayat in Manikpur) recounted his involvement in party politics which helped him stay in office as the president of the gaon (gram) panchayat.
Social conditions and cultural norms: Effect on beneficiary participation in social accountability mechanisms in local self-governing institutions in Barpeta
Such activism of civil society organizations dealing with social audit is lacking in the selected villages of Barpete. The secretary of the gaon panchayat (after my interview) referred me to meet another member who was the representative of ward number 9 (nine) in the gaon panchayat. Our research shows that among respondents who participated in social audit forums, only 9.52% of beneficiaries highlighted and discussed the issues.
Most of the beneficiaries belonging to other caste categories (ie Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes) failed to participate in the Social Review Forum. In Baghbar gaon panchayat, a large number of beneficiaries (75%) belonging to general caste category participated in the social audit forum.
Summary of the chapter
Our preliminary studies have also added insights to our understanding of the scope and challenges of beneficiary participation in the selected villages of Barpeta district. The beneficiaries of the two identified schemes in Barpeta district exhibited the benefit-seeking behavior as revealed by our field survey in the selected villages and gaon panchayat. The social conditions of rural areas in Assam including selected villages in Barpeta district.
The physical presence of the beneficiaries in the selected villages was relatively greater at the social audit forums. The study argues that the politicization of local self-governing institutions in Barpeta district was much easier under these conditions.
Summary and conclusion
- Introduction
- Summary of the chapters
- Implications of the study
- Limitations in the Study and future scope of research
Local self-governing institutions in the study refer to panchayats especially gaon panchayats. The main research participants in the research were the beneficiaries of Indira Awas Yojana and Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme in the selected villages of Barpeta district. The introductory chapter also contained the details and profile of the study areas and respondents from Barpeta district.
Beneficiary participation in social accountability mechanisms in local self-governing institutions in the selected villages of Assam may therefore be challenged by social conditions and cultural norms. The chapter discusses the research conducted in the selected villages of Barpeta district.
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