STUDY OF PARALLEL INSTITUTIONS AND SUGGESTION FOR HARMONIZATION

Funding Agency: Decentralization Support Programme, Department of Local Self Government, Kerala

The concept of service delivery at the local body level has been accorded legal sanctity through the Kerala Panchayat Raj and Kerala Municipality (preparation of citizens charter) Act, 2004.These Acts also defines the role of the local body and the transferred officers towards the citizens, as well as the role of the local body and the transferred officers with each other in case of deficiency in service delivery levels. In order to provide better services to the public and to implement development projects, the LSGIs shall be provided with the factors like, ample opportunities in all the developmental and service delivery areas, needed fiscal and physical requirements, scientific technology, adequate space and required staff. In the absence of one or two above said items, especially the technology and staff, they have to rely on other agencies which possess enough experience and expertise to conduct developmental tasks without any deterrence. Through this way the services of the LSGIs could be made effective as well as development projects could be executed as a group activity in order to attain harmonisation and avoid duplication.

Various approaches were carried out to attain the objective of the project. The methodology adopted in the project include brainstorming sessions and interviews with local government functionaries, office bearers of the parallel bodies, subject experts, officials, social activists etc. An attempt was made in the project to sketch out and suggest various ways in which the LSGIs and the parallel institutions shall be harmonised.