Modern Indian History - Local Bodies

• Financial difficulties led the Government to further decentralize administration by promoting local government through municipalities and district hoards.

• Local bodies were first formed between 1864 and 1868, but almost in every case, they consisted of nominated members and were presided over by the District Magistrates.

• The local bodies did not represent local self-government at all nor did the intelligent Indians accept them as such. The Indians looked upon them as instruments for the extraction of additional taxes from the people.

• In 1882, Lord Ripon Government laid down the policy of administering local affairs largely through rural and urban local bodies, a majority of whose members would be non-officials.

• The non-official members would be elected by the people wherever and whenever officials felt that it was possible to introduce elections.

• The resolution also permitted the election of a non-official as Chairman of a local body.

• The provincial acts were passed to implement this resolution. But the elected members were in a minority in all the district boards and in many of the municipalities.

• Elected members were, moreover, elected by a small number of voters since the right to vote was severely restricted.

• District officials continued to act as presidents of district boards though nonofficials gradually became chairmen of municipal committees.

• The Government also retained the right to exercise strict control over the activities of the local bodies and to suspend and supersede them at its own discretion.

• The local bodies functioned just like departments of the Government and were in no way good examples of local self-government.