THE RULERS NOUVEAUX

Madhya Pradesh became the first state in the country to implement the 3-tier panchayati raj. But lack of finances might just undo the transfer of power to the people

- ANIRUDH BHATTACHARYYA & RAHUL SHRIVASTAVA

UNTIL RECENTLY, Virender Singh and Churawan Lal were leading ordinary lives in obscure villages in Madhya Pradesh. On August 20, a change came their way and subjects became rulers. Both were formally endowed with powers under the Madhya Pradesh Panchayati Raj Act, 1993. Singh of Behat in Gwalior district and Lal of Navagaon in Raipur district became sarpanches (village leaders).

Singh and Lal are just 2 of 30,992 sarpanches in the state’s 37 districts elected to office in May-June. With this transition, Madhya Pradesh became the first state in the country to implement the 3-tier panchayati raj—gram panchayat (villagelevel council), janpad panchayat (block committee) and