Does the Constitution (Seventy-third Amendment) Act, 1992 provide any other specific roles or responsibilities for Panchayats in terms of economic development and social justice?
Yes, the Constitution (Seventy-third Amendment) Act, 1992 provides other specific roles and responsibilities for Panchayats in terms of economic development and social justice. The act allows the Legislature of a State to authorize a Panchayat to levy, collect and appropriate taxes, duties, tolls and fees in accordance with specified procedures and subject to specified limits (243H(a)). It also assigns certain taxes, duties, tolls and fees levied and collected by the State Government for specific purposes to Panchayats, subject to certain conditions and limits (243H(b)). Additionally, the act provides for making grants-in-aid to the Panchayats from the Consolidated Fund of the State (243H(c)) and constitution of funds for crediting moneys received by or on behalf of the Panchayats and for withdrawing such moneys therefrom (243H(d)). Furthermore, the act requires the Governor of a State to constitute a Finance Commission to review the financial position of the Panchayats every five years and make recommendations regarding the distribution of taxes between the State and Panchayats, the determination of taxes assigned to or appropriated by Panchayats, and the grants-in-aid to the Panchayats from the Consolidated Fund of the State (243-I).