Project: Indo Swiss Programme Sikkim

Decentralisation and Local Governance

Project: Indo Swiss Programme Sikkim

BACKGROUND

In India, the Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) are locally elected bodies at the district, block and village levels. These bodies were mandated, after a constitutional amendment was put in place in 1993 and established mandatory provisions for decentralisation to local governments in rural India. Since then, in all states of the country, important developments in regard to political, administrative and financial decentralisation have taken place. In order to provide an adequate legal framework, each state of the country passed confirmatory legislations to advance decentralisation. In 2002, the Government of Sikkim (GoS), a small mountainous state in the north eastern part of India, launched a significant effort to promote decentralisation. This led to a two-tier system of local governance through the creation of 166 Gram Panchayats (village elected bodies), on the one hand, and four Zilla Panchayats (district elected bodies) on the other.

The bilateral Indo Swiss Project Sikkim (ISPS) between the Governments of India and Switzerland started in 1993. The collaboration initially focused on enhancing the capacities of communities to generate income and on strengthening need based service delivery in the departments of animal husbandry and horticulture. From 2003 onwards, in response to a request of the state government, the ISPS extended support to the State’s efforts at decentralisation. By giving the State Institute of Rural Development (SIRD), financial and technical assistance, the project helped in building the capacity of elected representatives of local governments.

BUDGET

PARTNERS

PROJECT

LOCATION

GOAL

The overall objective of the project is to contribute to improve the quality of life of rural households in Sikkim by promoting better local self governance as well as strengthening livelihoods.

Phot

o © Cher

ian Joseph, New D

SUCCESS HIGHLIGHT

“With ISPS’s support the State Institute of Rural Development has emerged as a leading institution for capacity building of rural elected bodies and rural communities in North East India.”

LINKS

http://www.sdcindia.in/en/Home/Links

APPROACHES

• The project creates awareness among rural communities and generates public interest in decentralisation. • With the support of the project,

elected representatives are improving their ability to participate and engage in local development processes. • The capacity of communities and

institutions is enhanced to design, implement, sustain and manage development processes that improve their well being.

• The state’s ability to build capacities is improved so that the devolution of power as well as the resources to local bodies in the areas of planning, implementing, and monitoring are applied faster.

• The capacity of departments such as animal husbandry and horticulture are strengthened to make them more responsive to the needs of the target communities.

• The project promotes institutional reforms in support of accountable governance by strengthening systems and procedures which improve the interface between the elected bodies and field administration.

• Pilots in public private partnerships are supported to assist the state in mobilizing new resources for development.

RESULTS

Small and marginal farmers have adopted new techniques in large cardamom and ginger cultivation, as well as in dairying, which improve their livelihoods.

The State Institute of Rural Development (SIRD) imparts quality training to Panchayati Raj Institutions in a sustainable manner.

The capacity building programme run by the State Institute of Rural Development is now well organized and structured, and has been extended to all elected Gram and Zilla Panchayat (local governance) members in the state, to village based functionaries, and district line department officials. Select Panchayats are supported and provisioned with untied funds. The Panchayats can thus experience decentralised governance by going through the cycle of planning, implementation and monitoring of their own development priorities. State reforms improve the capacity of local administration to respond to the needs that are expressed by local elected bodies.

The decentralised generation of power will be enhanced through the installation of community managed micro hydro plants in remote villages.

CONTACT

Project Support Unit Gesarkhang National Highway 31 A

Opposite Bansari Lodge Gangtok, India.

E-mail: [email protected] Phone: + 91- 471-2543392