Who is responsible for water, electricity, sewerage etc. problems in my city?

Who is responsible for water, electricity, sewerage etc. problems in my city?

To whom I need to talk for issues in my village, in my city, in my state? I am frustrated. I blast all politicians on twitter for these all problems. is it correct?

Election of our representatives into Lower House of Parliament (Lok Sabha)

Why Member of Parliament (MP) election is different from Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) (VidhanSabha) and Panchayat System (Gram Panchayat (village level), Panchayat Samiti (Block Level), Jila Parishad (District level)

I was planning to write this blog for long time. There is clear understanding require about our government system and functionality. If some house is not getting electricity properly than they start blaming prime-minister. If terrorists attacked on our installations then we blame our prime-minster. If municipal employee is not performing their job properly and garbage has not picked from street then we blame union government.

I do not blame common citizen for it. They feel bad when observe disparity in any system; they feel frustrated. A commoner show his / her frustration on part of system who ever available easily. For example we capture a picture of garbage and tag to prime-minster and say is it your swachhata abhiyan?

• Do we really aware about functionalities of our government systems?
• Do we really know what are the functionalities, role & responsibilities of Municipal Corporation (or municipal committee or town committee)?
• Do we really know what are the role, responsibilities and functionalities of rural self-government (Panchayat raj) (gram panchayat, panchayat samiti, zila parishad)?
• Do we really know who is responsible for ration distribution, fertiliser distribution, agricultural policies implementation?
• Do we really know which system receives fund for policies implementation, projects and other purposes?
• Do we really know what are the role, responsibilities and functionalities of Councillors, municipal corporation?
• Do we really know who is responsible of state highways, MDLR, village link roads, city roads?

There are many such questions…

The purpose of the blog to make aware about functionalities, role & responsibilities of our government systems. When we know who is actually responsible, we can ask that system to correct it. Awareness about our rights is very much required.

Rural - Local Self Government:

Let’s start from the lowest node of government i.e. Panchayat in rural and Councillors in urban areas. Let’s first focus on “Rural – Local Self Government”. India is truly democratic country which empowers every citizen to participate in government at village level too. We vote and elect village Pradhan / sarpanch to represent us on village level. We elect gram panchayat members and one of the gram panchayat member become sarpanch. The role of gram panchayat is to manage local issues at then & there. Issues related to village, villagers are discussed at Gram Sabha (General Body Meeting of Gram Panchayat). Evert village resident who is adult is de-facto member of Gram Sabha. During general meeting of Gram Panchyat every attendee can put his / her view. Any resolution must pass by majority. For example if gram panchayat has proposed implementation of water recharge pits at gram panchayat land than majority of villagers who attended Gram Sabha meeting must approve it. So at lowest level we have democratic participation.

There is Nyaya Panchyata at village (2-4 village combined) level. The main objective of these nyaya panchayat is to resolve disputes at then & there by discussion and agreement.

Panchayat Samiti is block level system of rural local government. Where Gram Panchayat (sarpanch) members are de-facto member of Panchayat Samiti. They elect Block pramukh among themselves by election. All Block Pramukhs of that district represent their respective block at Zila Parishad. Zila Parishad is district level system of Rural Local Self Government. There is government officer at village, block and district level to help civic bodies. These are Village Development Officer, Block Development Officer & District Collector). 

Now important point here is State releases fund to Zila Parishad -> Panchayat Samiti (Block) -> Gram Panchyat for implementation of projects. These projects can fund by State only, or State & Central combined or Central only. For example Central government has release fund of 20000 Crore for toilets for each home in village. Central government give 20000 crore to State. State calculate and let say provide 300 crore to Mathura ZIla Parishad. Mathura Zila parishad provide 65 Crore to Mahavan Block Panchayat Samiti and Mahavan Panchayat Samiti release 12 crore to Averani village. Now it is role of gram panchayat to implement (making new toilets at every home) this project by utilising this fund.

So, I hope you may understand now who is responsible if toilets are not there are some houses of village… or toilet quality is not good. Now tell me who is responsible?

Now Talk about Urban Self Government.

Similar to rural self-government, urban area has similar system. Every city is divided into wards. We vote and elect ward member (councillor / parshad). These Councillors are member of municipal corporation (or municipal committee, town committee; in hindi Mahanagar Palika, Nagar Palika, Nagar Panchayat). These councillors choose one among themselves as Mayor. There is government officer to support elected civic body i.e. chief executive officer. So let’s take an example Central government has given 36000 crore to Mathura under Nagarotthan scheme to develop sewerage system in Mathura city. It is responsibility of municipal corporation to make sure quality (as per prescribed standard) implementation of this project. Now tell me if sewerage line is not connected to some ward, some houses then who is responsible? Municipal corporation has received fund to develop city roads (pot-holes free, re-taring) and if road has pot-holes than who is responsible? If municipal water is not coming on time then who is responsible?

Now talk about State Government level.

Uttar Pradesh is one of the 7 states which have two houses system. State legislature has two houses i.e. Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council. We voters of respective assembly (example – Mathura Vrindavan Vidhan Sabha) cast our vote to elect our representation in legislative assembly by electing member of legislative assembly from our assembly area. In literal meaning we are sending our representative to state legislature who can raise our problems, raise our voice and raise our suggestions in assembly. For example Mathura – Baldeo road is in bad condition and it needs to be repair. This road is MDLR (Major District Link Road) and comes under state PWD. Our MLA must raise this concern at right forum and try to get sanction fund for this project. So anything which is in state power and need approval at legislature must voice by our representative (MLA). Now tell me if Mathura – Saunkh road is not four lane and these is requirement of it than who is responsible? Many villages in Goverdhan area do not have drinking water than who is responsible? If there is nurder in Raya and loot in Mathura (law & order problem) than who should raise this concern to state government? If Rajwah /canal / upper Ganga Nahar / Agra Canal does not have water flow; it have not de-silted properly for many years; if water is not reaching till tail; farmers are not getting water for irrigation then who is responsible? If Potato crop affected by Pala and government has declared compensation; but farmer receives 12 Rs cheque as compensation than who is responsible.

Let’s talk about National level (Union Government)           

President of India is head of state and commander-in-chief of armed forces. Prime minister is main advisor to the president. President takes decisions with advice of prime minister in accordance to constitution. Our union government system follows two houses system. Lower house (Lok Sabha) and Upper House (Rajya Sabha). Rajya sabha members are state representatives and few are nominated by the President. We, Indian citizen cast our vote to elect our representative in parliament as member of lok sabha (MP). The member of Parliament from our constituency is representation of all citizen belongs to this constituency. In literal meaning we are sending our representative to national parliament who can raise our problems, raise our voice and raise our suggestions in parliament. MP of our area is our voice for any issue which put in parliament for discussion. The main role & responsibilities of union government is to make policies related to industries, agriculture, finance, economics, security, defense, space, foreign policies etc. Central government with consultation of constitutional committees make policies in favour of whole nation. For example implementation of national wide common tax GST, destroying terrorists camps, Mudra scheme for generating self-employment, treaty with Israel for defense equipment, treaty with France for UN Security council seats, minimum income to farmer, regulation on export / import, etc. The policies which directly or indirectly in benefit of nation are formed by the central government. Let’s take an example, central government has initiated cultural / spiritual cities development. It is duty of Mathura MP to raise voice and try to put Mathura in list of that scheme. Another example, it is duty of Mathura MP to try to put Yamuna river rejuvenation also as part of Namami Gange programme. If Central government is planning to make new airport in vicinity of 150 KM from Palam airport then it is Mathura MP’s duty to raise our voice in correct forum and try to make new airport in Mathura district. It is Mathura MP’s duty to raise voice in correct forum and try to get fund for railway project to connect all Braj dham (Mathura, Vrindavan, Gokul, Baldeo, Nandgaon, Barsana, Nauhjheel etc).

So I hope we are now clear about role, responsibilities and functionalities of each government systems.