(i) A Local Government is very important. The aim of the local bodies is to solve the local problems by cooperation and without depending upon others.
(ii) Only the local people know their problems and for meeting their needs, it is the local government it takes interest.
(iii) It also finishes the work with speed and with least expenditure.
(iv) The local government also lightens the work of the Central and State Governments.
(v) It also provides training of administration to the people at lower levels.

(i) Generally, the Panch and Sarpanch are uneducated and so, they are not able to act very wisely. The Panchs are often elected on the basis of groupism in villages so, they cannot act impartially.
(ii) Most of the villagers are illiterate and they do not understand the importance of their votes.
(iii) The sources of income of the village bodies under the Panchayati Raj are not adequate. Such causes have led towards the fail use of the Panchayat Raj system.

Every Panchayat Samiti elects two of its members as the Chairman and Vice-Chairman. Their tenure of office is for five years. They can be removed by the Panchayat Samiti members by passing a resolution supported by 2/3^rd majority. Seats for the post of Chairman are reserved for the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. They make development plans for Gram Panchayat and they also regulate the money distribution among all the Gram Panchayat.

The main functions of the Village Panchayat are construction and repairing of village roads, arrangement of street lightening, maintenance of public wells, tanks and supply of drinking water, cleaning of streets and sanitation. Other works include maintenance of public places, collection of rents, etc.

The main sources of income of the Gram Panchayats are the property taxes levied on the buildings and open spaces within the villages. Other sources of income include professional tax, taxes on pilgrimage, animal trade, etc.

The elected members of the Gram Panchayat elect from among themselves a Sarpanch and a Deputy Sarpanch for a term of five years.

The Sarpanch is the head of the Gram Panchayat

There are three levels or tiers involved in Panchayati Raj System which are the Village Panchayat, Panchayat Samiti and Zila Parishad.

The Panchs of the Gram Panchayat are answerable to the Gram Sabha because its members are elected by the Gram Sabha.

Panchayat Samiti is organised at block level. It consists of the heads of Gram Panchayats falling within its jurisdiction. The head of the Panchayat Samiti is known as Block Pramukh or Pradhan.

The villagers were murmuring about the issue of finalisation of the list of people Below the Poverty Line (BPL).

The Panchayati Raj system is very important because:
(i) It teaches people the first lesson of democracy.
(ii) It brings political awareness in rural India.
(iii) People are able to solve their problem through mutual co-operation.

The water problem had become very acute in Hardas village. The hand pump water had gone much below the point upto which the ground had been drilled. The villagers hardly got water in the taps. Women had to go to the Suru river 3 km away to get water.

In the next meeting, members would ask what information had been obtained from the Block Development Officer regarding watershed development scheme

Gram Sabha can prevent the Panchayat from doing what it likes:
(i) through observing the meeting and getting the accounts of the Panchayat checked and scrutinised.
(ii) because it plays an important role in keeping an eye on the elected representatives and in making them responsible to the persons who elected them.