Local Self Government [LSG]

Local Self Government is the management of local affairs by local bodies who have been elected by the local people.

• The local self-Government includes both rural and urban government.

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Figure 1: Types of local self government

Rural Local Governments:

• Panchayati Raj Institution (PRI) is a system of rural local self-government in India. PRI was constitutionalized through the 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1992. The panchayat raj system in the entire country is not the same but, by and large, structure of LSG in most of the States have the three-tier structure:

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Figure 2: Structure of Panchayati Raj

Urban Local Governments:

• An urban area is usually a compact and densely populated area. All types of urban local governments are democratically elected by the people based on electoral wards.

• Municipal administration is necessary to provide basic civic facilities like water supply, drainage, garbage disposal, public health, primary education, construction, and maintenance.

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Figure 3: Types of Urban local bodies

• Other types of urban local governments in India - Notified Area Committee, Town Area Committee, Cantonment Board, township, Port trust, Special purpose agency.

Role of Local Self Government in Health.

• The common departments in the LSGs are General Administration, Finance, Public Works, Agriculture, Health, Education, Social Welfare, Information Technology, and others. Thus, LSG could play an important role in addressing the determinants of health.

• LSGs play an active role in preventive healthcare services like vaccination, controlling drinking water and foods, mother-child health, disease screening programs, sanitation precautions, controlling of wastes and animal diseases, controlling of  environmental  factors  that  have  disease  risks  such  as air  and  water pollution. They are seen as critical to the planning, implementation, and monitoring of the NHM. Implementation of the NHM in achieving its outcomes is significantly dependent on well-functioning gram, block and district level panchayats. 

• LSGs also deliver services toward health promotion.

• The other services provided by the LSGs are: Emergency and ambulance services, rehabilitation centers, elderly care centers and  home care  services 

• ASHA/USHA is one of the important functionary in health care service delivery and selected by the Gram Panchayat. 

Resources

• Structure of Government, National Institute of Open Schooling, Ministry of Education, GoI.

• Government Mechanisms, Ministry of Minority Affairs, GoI.

Assessment