ROLE PERFORMANCE OF GRAM PANCHAYAT MEMBERS IN VILLAGE DEVELOPMENT

The panchayati raj as a system of self-governance was introduced for the first time in 1959 following the Balwant Rai Mehta committee report (1958) that recommended a three-tier structure of local self-government consisting of gram panchayat at the village level, taluka panchayat samiti at the sub-district level and zilla parishad at the district level. Accordingly, Panchayati raj system has been in operation in the country.The village panchayat at the grass root level is the pivotal agency for the holistic development of the village, which in turn rests on the role performance of its members. These members in true sense are the formal leaders of the village and are regarded as the symbols of rural development and they reflect the entire community. Thus for proper development of the village, it is quite essential that the members should understand their role clearly and carry out it effectively. This role performance by the members may be affected by various characteristics of the members. Hence, it is also worthwhile to study the relationship between the profile of the members and their role performance.