Consider the following statements:Panchayats at the intermediate level exist in all States.To be eli

Question

Consider the following statements:Panchayats at the intermediate level exist in all States.To be eligible to be a Member of a Panchayat at the intermediate level, a person should attain the age of thirty years.The Chief Minister of a State constitutes a commission to review the financial position of Panchayats at the intermediate levels and to make recommendations regarding the distribution of net proceeds of taxes and duties, leviable by the State, between the State and Panchayats at the intermediate levelWhich of the statements given above is/are correct?

Accepted Answer

Statement I: Panchayats at the intermediate level exist in all States. This statement is not entirely consistent with the constitutional framework. Article 243B of the Constitution of India, inserted through the 73rd Amendment Act, 1992, provides for a three-tier system of Panchayati Raj—comprising the village, intermediate, and district levels. However, the provision includes a clear exception: States with a population not exceeding twenty lakhs (2 million) are not obligated to establish Panchayats at the intermediate level. Hence, statement 1 is not correct. Statement II: To be eligible to be a Member of a Panchayat at the intermediate level, a person should attain the age of thirty years. This statement misstates the constitutional age requirement. As per Article 243F(1)(a) of the Constitution, a person shall not be disqualified from being chosen as a member of a Panchayat if they have attained the age of twenty-one years. There is no constitutional requirement stipulating the age of thirty for eligibility. Therefore, the minimum age for becoming a member at any level of the Panchayati Raj system, including the intermediate level, is 21 years. Hence statement 2 is not correct. Statement III: "The Chief Minister of a State constitutes a commission to review the financial position of Panchayats at the intermediate levels and to make recommendations regarding the distribution of net proceeds of taxes and duties." This statement inaccurately attributes the authority for setting up the State Finance Commission. Article 243-I of the Constitution mandates the Governor of a State—not the Chief Minister—to constitute a Finance Commission at the end of every five years (or earlier if deemed necessary). The commission is tasked with reviewing the financial position of the Panchayats at all levels and recommending the distribution of the State's financial resources accordingly. Hence statement 3 is not correct.