Question
Consider the following statements:
I. Panchayats at the intermediate level exist in all States.
II. To be eligible to be a Member of a Panchayat at the intermediate level, a person should attain the age of thirty years.
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, leviable by the State, between the State and Panchayats at the intermediate level.
Which of the statements given above are not correct?
Explanation
The 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1992 gave constitutional status to Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) by adding Part IX (Articles 243 to 243-O) to the Constitution. It provides for a three-tier Panchayati Raj system — Gram Panchayat (village level), Panchayat Samiti (intermediate/block level), and Zila Parishad (district level).
Statement I is incorrect. While Article 243B provides for a three-tier system in every state, it also explicitly states that intermediate-level Panchayats may not be constituted in states with a population not exceeding 20 lakh. States such as Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, and Sikkim, along with Union Territories like Lakshadweep and Dadra & Nagar Haveli, follow a two-tier Panchayati Raj system and do not have intermediate-level Panchayats. Therefore, intermediate Panchayats do not exist in all states.
Statement II is incorrect. As per Article 243F of the Constitution, the minimum age prescribed to become a member of a Panchayat is 21 years — not 30 years as claimed in the statement. The age of 30 years is not associated with Panchayat membership under any constitutional provision.
Statement III is incorrect. Under Article 243-I, it is the Governor of the State — not the Chief Minister — who constitutes the State Finance Commission every five years. This commission reviews the financial position of Panchayats and makes recommendations on the distribution of taxes, duties, tolls, and fees between the State and the Panchayats, along with recommendations on grants-in-aid from the Consolidated Fund of the State.
Therefore, all three statements are incorrect.