Aspirant Academy

Economy

Transparency, Accountability, and Governance Mechanisms

Rural Development, Panchayati Raj, State Finance Commission

Paper I · Unit 2 Section 7 of 14 0 PYQs 35 min
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Transparency, Accountability, and Governance Mechanisms

Jan Soochna Portal

The Jan Soochna Portal (jansoochna.rajasthan.gov.in) was launched on September 13, 2019. It provides proactive disclosure of government scheme data under Section 4 of the RTI Act 2005.

Key features:

  • Coverage: 280+ schemes, 117+ departments
  • Granularity: Data available up to Gram Panchayat level for schemes like MGNREGS, PMAY-G, PDS, SBM
  • Interface: Available in Hindi; designed for semi-literate users
  • Rajasthan first: No other Indian state had created a portal of this depth and granularity at launch

Significance for rural governance: Citizens can verify whether MGNREGS works are actually happening, whether PMAY-G beneficiaries received their payments, whether PDS allotments were correctly distributed — all without filing an RTI application.

Right to Hearing Act 2012

The Rajasthan Right to Hearing Act 2012 made Rajasthan the first state in India to legislate a statutory right to be heard by public authorities. The Act mandates:

  • Every public authority must appoint a Sununwai Adhikari (Hearing Officer)
  • Time-bound disposal: Most applications must be heard within 30 days (specified categories within 15 days)
  • Escalation mechanism: Appeal to district-level or state-level grievance authority if not heard

Significance: This act operationalizes Article 14 (equality before law) and Directive Principles relating to rule of law at the grassroots level, giving rural citizens a formal channel to approach government departments.

Rajasthan Public Services Guarantee Act 2011

Enacted before the Hearing Act, the Rajasthan Guaranteed Delivery of Public Services Act 2011 ensures time-bound delivery of specified services. Failure to deliver within prescribed time leads to automatic appeals and penalties. This applies to services provided through Panchayati Raj offices (birth/death certificates, domicile certificates, income certificates).

RGSA — Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan

RGSA is the central government's scheme to strengthen PRIs through capacity building and training of elected representatives and PRI functionaries.

RGSA in Rajasthan 2024-25: ₹162.95 crore approved for training, infrastructure development, and IT connectivity for Gram Panchayats.

The scheme focuses on SDG localization — helping Panchayats plan and implement activities aligned with the 17 Sustainable Development Goals at the village level ("Localizing SDGs through PRIs").