UPSC G.S. Mains Paper-2 2024

Dear Students, this topic of merger of Rural Local bodies with urban will gain importance as Indian is urbanising at a very fast rate. Hence, going one step ahead of UPSC Mains question 2024, I have dealt with  the need for such merger and process. These might be relevant in the coming year(s), either for prelims or mains. Also, I have added another Question at last for you to think over.

1. Question. Analyse the role of local bodies in providing good governance at local level and bring out the pros and cons merging the rural local bodies with the urban local bodies. (Answer in 150 words) 2024

Key Points for Merger:

Pros and Cons of Merging Rural and Urban Local Bodies:

Pros:

1. Benefit to peripheral villages:  merger will help peripheral villages to develop as rural laws cannot shape urban growth sustainably
2. Integrated urban planning: will help entire settlement to emerge as homogenous entity, thereby leading to administrative efficiency
3. Benefit from schemes & policies: Many schemes & policies artificially divide the funds between Rural and urban areas, leading to increase in administrative cost and inconvenience for the beneficiaries for eg. SBM-Urban and Rural, PMAY
4. Economics of scale: Such a merger will lead to better economies of scale in terms of project implementation for instance in projects like construction of Rail over bridges on railway crossings between Rural and urban areas.
5. Bridge Rural-Urban divide: Census town, Notified Area Committees

Cons:

1. Tax rise for rural people: Rural people will have to pay taxes like property tax etc.
2. Hasten the process of land conversion: Land might get diverted for non-agricultural purposes like real estate development etc.
3. Difference between Rural and Urban needs in terms of response from administration
4. Loss of administrative approachability due to centralization
5. Village leaders often see mergers to result in loss of political power. 

Why such merger becomes necessary?

It is possible that certain village panchayats, given their proximity to municipal corporations such as Chennai may be witnessing development in some fields - say real estate - in the way the ULBs are doing. They may not be able to handle such developments on account of their limited manpower and other resources.

Secondly, if the village area in proximity of urban is areas is not notified as
“Urban”, it leads to haphazard development of real estate colonies by diverting agricultural land. Merger of rural local bodies that are in proximity of rapidly expanding bodies would lead to timely re-categorising of the land in their jurisdiction as Urban land, thereby requiring the permission of Urban Development Authorities like Punjab Urban Development Authority or DDA in Delhi.

Process to be followed for such merger:

• District Collectors concerned will issue the first notification, seeking comments and objections from people.
• This will be followed by public hearings, after which the government will take a call.
• Once that decision is made, the Collectors will come out with the final notification, the official said. 
• In case any village panchayat gets merged with a ULB, the State Delimitation Commission will undertake an elaborate process of redrawing the boundaries of wards of the expanded ULB, during which also, views of the public will be sought.

Q. Do you think that there is a need to bring about second generation reforms in 73rd & 74th Amendment Acts as India is rapidly urbanising and these laws passed in 1990s seem to be out sync with contemporary realities.