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Panchayats, since time immemorial have not only been playing the role of chief
administrators, they have also been managing the key role of the judiciary. An
important function of the body is to resolve disputes among villagers. This role
could be further refined by the use of IT. A literate person in a village for instance,
could be entrusted with the task of keeping a record of disputes taking place and
the steps taken for their resolution. This information could go into a data bank which
could be accessed by other panchayats. The idea would be to maintain a library of
disputes and their adjudication, which would serve as a reference point for all
panchayats, in case they encountered similar issues. In this way, the rustic panchayat
would get transformed into an e- panchayat.
Yet another area where the e-panchayat would play a crucial role would be in
introducing a virtual marketplace for the village’s agricultural goods. Using the
Internet, villagers could access information on prevailing sale prices of food grains
and get inputs on where and at what cost they could procure fertilizers.
Such e-marketplaces, where even trading of agricultural goods takes place, would
truly revolutionize Gujarat’s predominantly agrarian economy.
It would also take the drudgery out of the panchayati system. Instead of focusing
on problems of adjudication and day-to-day administration, the members of the
panchayat could divert their attention instead to other more pressing matters such
as education, water management, and healthcare.
In fact, the use of the Internet could prove to be a boon in each of these areas as
well. Using the Net, the panchayat could open the doors of distance learning, and
better healthcare to villagers.
E-panchayats are truly the way to go for Gujarat. If the state has to adopt the new
economy and move with the times, it will have to look seriously at strengthening
its oldest institution, the panchayat. Governance can only get better.
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