Panchayat secretary
Topic: Panchayati Raj: Rural Local Government · NCERT: Class 6, Ch 11 "Grassroots Democracy – Part 2: Local Government in Rural Areas"
Meaning
The panchayat secretary is an official appointed by the government, not elected. They help the gram panchayat by calling its meetings and keeping its records and accounts. Staff shortages are common, and one secretary is often shared by several gram panchayats. This is part of the "functionaries" gap in devolution.
Example
Before a gram sabha meeting, the panchayat secretary sends out notice of the meeting, records what is decided and keeps accounts of how scheme money was spent.
Don't confuse with
- Sarpanch: the sarpanch is the elected head of the panchayat. The secretary is an appointed official who supports the panchayat's work.
Related concepts
- Gram panchayat
- Sarpanch
- Patwari
- Panchayat samiti
- Zila parishad
- Child-friendly panchayat
- Bal sabha
- Women-friendly panchayat