(i) District Panchayat is constituted in each district.
(ii) One District Panchayat for every 50,000 people and ward members are directly elected by the people.
(iii) The head of the District Panchayat, the "Chairman is elected from one among its members and their term is five years".

Voluntary functions of the local governments are
(i) Maintenance of street light in the villages
(ii) Maintenance of markets and fairs
(iii) Implantation of trees
(iv) Maintenance of play grounds
(v) Maintenance of parking vehicles, slaughter houses and Cattle shed
(vi) Control over places of exhibition

Important functions of the Village Panchayat are
(i) Supply of drinking water
(ii) Maintenance of street lights
(iii) Maintenance of Road
(iv) Maintenance of village libraries
(v) Maintenance of small bridges
(vi) Maintenance of drainage
(vii) Maintenance of burial grounds
(viii) Granting permission to housing plots
(ix) Construction of group houses
(x) Cleaning of streets
(xi) Maintenance of common lavatory facilities

The salient features of the Tamil Nadu Panchayat Raj Act of 1994-
(i) A three tier system,
(ii) Gram Sabha
(iii) Establishment of Election Commission
(iv) Constitution of Finance Commission
(v) Reservation of Seats for SS/ST's proportionate to their population.
(vi) One third reservation of seats for women and
(vii) Constitution of District Planning Committees.

(i) Rajiv Gandhi government in 1986 appointed a committee on "Revitalisation of Panchayati Raj institutions for Democracy and Development".
(ii) It was under the Chairmanship of L.M. Singhri.
(iii) Its recommendations were
1. Constitutional recognition to the Panchayati Raj institutions.
2. A new chapter should be added in the constitution of India.
3. Nyaya Panchayats should be created for a cluster of villages.

(i) E.V. Ramasamy Periyar was the Chairman of the Erode Municipality for many years from 1917.
(ii) During his tenure in Erode Municipality, EVR worked effectively for drinking water supply and provision and Health facilities to the people.
(iii) He only provided the piped water supply first in India.
(iv) He was a member of the District Board and Secretary ofthe Water Works Committee and Plague Committee.
(v) He gave a proposal to expand the municipality by adjoining Neighboring areas but it came into existence only in 1980.

(i) Gandhi really wanted 'Swaraj', The self rule by the people of India who represent the rural mass.
(ii) He observed "India's soul lives in the village".
(iii) He dreamt of village republics in term of Panchayat in the free India.
(iv) Mahatma Gandhi advocated Panchayat Raj, a decentralized form of government where each village is responsible for its own affairs.
(v) Gandhi's ideal village should be basically self-reliant, making provision for all necessities of life, food clothing, clean water, sanitation, housing, education and other requirements, including government and self-defense.
(vi) According to Gandhi Gram Swaraj should be a complete republic, independent of its neighbor.
(vii) Every village should be a democracy in which they will not depend even on neighbor for major needs.

a) Ripon
(i) Lord Ripon was the one who introduced the Local Self Government in 1882.
(ii) He was advocating for the decentralization of administration.
(iii) He tried to remove obstacles in the sphere of Local Self government by his resolution of 1882.
(iv) Under him a large number of Tahsildars had quasi - judicial powers in their sub - districts, along with revenue collection.
b) Munroe
(i) He was all for administration in the local language.
(ii) He was against the practice of appointing to administrative posts and the judiciary those who were not fluent with the local lexicon (language).
(iii) He felt that Indians ought to be allowed to dispense justice by themselves.

Problems and challenges facing the local self governments.
(i) Local self governments are the crucial basis for our democracy.
(ii) The Constitutional status of local self governments adds more significance to their functioning.
(iii) There are a few critical concerns in the working of local self governments in India.
(iv) Major problems and challenges may be mentioned as below.
1. Lack of clear demarcation of powers and functions of local bodies.
2. Allocation of funds and needs assessment are not matched.
3. Combined with accountability, the local self governments demand for more autonomy and economic freedom may be addressed.
4. Role of caste, class and religion in decision making at the local self governments.
5. Poor accountability of elected members and officials at the grassroots of democracy.

Salient features of the 73m and 74th Constitutional Amendment Act (1992)
(i) Panchayats and Municipalities will be "Institutions of Self Government".
(ii) Basic Units of Democratic System - Grama Sabhas (Villages) and Ward Committees (Municipalities) comprising all the adult members registered.
(iii) Three tier system of panchayats at village, intermediate block/taluk/mandal and district levels. Smaller states with population below 2 million only two tiers.
(iv) Seats at all levels filled by direct election.
(v) Seats reserved for SCs and STs at all levels in proportionon to their population.
(vi) One third of the total number of seats-reserved for women. One third of the seats reserved for SCs and STs also reserved for women. One third officers of Chair persons at all levels reserved for women.
(vii) Uniform five year term and election to constitute new bodies to be completed before the expiry of the term. In the event of dissolution, elections compulsorily within six months.