Puducherry hits rock bottom in panchayat index ranking

Puducherry's low PDI ranking highlights failure to decentralize power, prompting calls for local body elections and devolution.

Puducherry’s ranking at the bottom in a Central assessment of panchayat devolution index (PDI) across the country reflects the Constitutional failure of successive governments to hold local body elections and decentralise power to the grassroot level, former Member of Parliament and president of Puducherry Maanila Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (PMMMK) M. Ramadass has said.

In a statement, Mr. Ramadass said the report of the Union Ministry of Panchayati Raj evaluated the performance of 25 States and six Union Territories against the six broad parameters of the PDI had given Puducherry a ranking of 31.

The Index was constructed with the help of six identified dimensions, namely, framework, functions, finances, functionaries, capacity enhancement and accountability across 25 indicators.

The report placed Karnataka first with an index score of 72.73 followed by Kerala (70.59) and Tamil Nadu (68.38). The Union Territory‘s second-last spot is an accurate assessment of the failure to devolve powers and functions to Panchayats as envisaged by the Constitution and Government of India. The report takes the view that regular election and affirmative action are at the core of decentralised democracy and devolution articulated in Part IX of the Constitution. It is also categorical that the evaluation of the extent of devolution has to be judged on the fulfillment of the necessary legal requirements of holding regular Panchayat elections, reserving seats for women, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, establishing State Election Commission and setting up the District Planning Committee.

“It is evident that Puducherry does not fulfil these requirements, except for the State Election Commission which has been in existence for a while,” Mr. Ramadass said.

He blamed the political class for being deeply apathetic to local bodies and stifling devolution of power to panchayats. During the 57-year period from 1968 to 2025, election to Panchayats was held only once in 2006. The next election which should have been conducted in 2011 was yet to be organised, though 13 years had lapsed.

“Consequently, there are no people’s panchayats in Puducherry but only those of bureaucrats,” he said. The 10 commune panchayats, 108 village panchayats and 816 panchayat wards are not constituted by election but administered by the officials of Rural Development and Block Development office, which is a situation totally contrary to constitutional provisions, he said.