Bottom Up Budgets for

PRIs
Presented at workshop by Anandi on 28th
and 29th October, 2006
by
Dr. Vibhuti Patel
Professor and Head,
University Department of Economics
SNDT Women’s University
Churchgate, Mumbai-400020
Phone-91-022-26770227
Mobile-9321040048
1
Women Elected Representatives(WERs)
in Local Self government Bodies (LSB/PRIs)

The 73rd and 74 th amendments in the Indian

constitution in 1994. PRI Legislation
1 million WERs in Panchayati Raj Institutions
The 9th 5 Years Plan(1997-2002)-WCP to ensure
that not less than 30% of development sectors
funds and benefits flow to women.
Goals-Good Governance, transparency,
efficiency, social audit and accountability
GR to 18 ministries to submit gender audit of
allocation and actual expenditure on women.
2
Gram Panchayat (GP) Budget
Secretary of GP to prepare the budget and
present to General Body of GP between 1st
February and 10th March.
Amendments of GP members to be
incorporated and the budget to be voted
upon.
The budget as passes by GP to be sent to TP
for follow up.
Every year, Controller of State Accounts to
audit the A/c of GP.
Karnataka-G.P.s display income &
expenditure on the public notice-board-
Social Audit-JAMABANDHI
3
Municipal(M) Budgets
The Accounts Superintendent tables
statement for income and expenditure in
December.Also gives estimates of income
and expenditure for the financial year end.
Response from Municipal commissioner,
president of Municipality, and standing
committee.
Portion for committed fund can’t be
changed by councilors at the time of final
approval
Revision of property tax once in 4 years.

4
 Three Aspects of PRI
Budgets
State & Central government’s Allocation
State and Centrally sponsored schemes

Revenues obtained thro’ local taxes-water,

electricity, road,etc.

Funds obtained from the Finance

Commissions

5
Challenges for NAWO while
making Bottom Up budgets
How to enable women to direct economy
through designing and constructing fiscal
policy?
How to link economic governance to
political governance ?
How to enable EWRs to participate in the
budget-making efforts ?
Method-Participatory Rural Appraisal
(PRA) and Focus Group discussion (FGD)

6
 Macro-economic
Policies and Gender
Audit of State Budgets
Trends of allocation to social sector in the
pre (before 1991) and post(after 1991) SAP
phase
Income and expenditure of municipalities
in Orissa-Profile of PDS and public health
Preparation of checklist according to
priorities set by the PRIs
IDEAL BUDGET

7
Meetings with the stake
holders
Discussion on Needs of GP identified by
EWRs with GOs and NGOs, SHGs
1. Socio-economic Profile of the GP/Munici
2. Scrutiny of needs-perceived problems
3. Methods to fulfill needs(Labour, land,
services)+financial aspects
4. Suitable budgetary allocations-revenues
from local sources

8
 Tasks of Citizens
Association
Verify/cross check collected data and
results of the surveys/interactive
workshops-Vision document
Sub-committees to work out details of
different budget heads
Presentation of reports thro’ ERWs to TP,
ZP and municipal authorities
Lobbying for reprioritization of allocation
to reflect the EWRs.

9
 Activity Mapping:Beyond Grievance Redressal-
Awareness about technicalities of Budget, Building
knowledge, procedural information about Critical
issues/Felt Needs
Urban Areas Rural Areas
Non-payments of Electricity Bill , property Non-payment of electricity
tax bills & property tax
Violation of corporation rules Drainage, public toilets

Garbage disposal, occupational Health Lady doctor in PHC

Housing Housing

Hospital Street lights

Educational institutions Water

Public toilets, drainage Roads, connectivity

Transport facilities Schools

10
 Stack groups in support
of EWRs
Self Help Groups
Administrators
Political parties
Corporators /councilors
NGOs
Women in the communities
To seek allocation under appropriate budget
heads to identify streams of revenue
Available revenue and the required
expenditure

11
 Method of Revenue Generation
Increase in tax revenues
for road use by vehicle owners
alcohol consumption
Tobacco consumption
Introduce Green Taxes
Surcharge, earmarked charge for specific
purpose-Education Cess-2 %, income tax
for disaster management, in Maharashtra
transport cess at the time of Bangladesh
was in 1971, later on diverted to EGS kitty

12
Some unresolved Issues
How to bridge the gap between notional
allocation and actual allocation?
Accounting, auditing and record keeping of
gender disaggregated data & allocation
How to achieve physical and performance/
achievement targets
Implementation of maternity benefits, TCP,SCP
Major departments claiming indivisibilities of
allocation of resources
Notional allocation projected as real allocation
Absence of uniform guidelines & procedures

13
 Gender budgeting in
PRIs
Special programmes targeting women
Differential impact of expenditures across
all sector and services-gender
disaggregated impact on literacy, school
drop outs, mortality, morbidity, starvation
deaths, nutrition, illnesses
Review of equal opportunities, policies and
opportunities in the public sector-jobs,
school education, wages, health care, skills,
technical training, computer education

14
NIPFP classification of
public expenditure
concerning women
Targeted 100% to women (DWCD)
Pro women schemes(30 % reserved
for women-All anti-poverty
programmes)
Gender Neutral Schemes meant for
community as a whole(Employment
generation programmes)
Residual schemes

15
 Protective and Welfare
Services
Shelter homes, short stay homes
Rehabilitation schemes for women
survivors of violence
Pensions for widows and destitute women
Directly benefiting women,
Crisis management of situations arising out
of
economic and socio-cultural subordination
and dehumanisation of women

16
Social Services Expenditure for
capacity building, reduction of domestic
drudgery and better quality of life
Education
Health
Crèche
Working women’s hostels
Housing
Nutrition
Water supply
Sanitation-toilets, drainage
Fuel
Fodder
17
Economic Services to provide
economic opportunities to
women
SHGs-credit, loans to self employed
women

Training programmes

Physical infrastructure-transport, energy

Marketing

18
Regulatory Services to put in place
institutional structures and
mechanisms
State Commission for Women

Women’s cell at the police stations

Awareness generation programmes

19
10th Five Year Plan and funds for
Women
18 central ministries to ensure fund flow
to women specific and women related
schemes
Family welfare Department-70 % of total
population control-two child norm-CMP
Untouched ministries-Defense, telecom,
communications, transport, industry and
commerce- Except for defense, all of tem
are money spinners

20
 Need of an Hour
State governments must devolve substantive
powers, funds, functions, functionaries upon
PRIs.
Activities, tasks & responsibilities of GP,TP and
ZP-Direct funding from the union Govt. to ZP
Simplifications of programme guidelines by
central ministries and departments
Centrally sponsored Schemes must be recast
to empower PRIs.
PRIs must get untied funds to formulate plans
according to their needs and priorities.
CMP promise-at least 100 days of employment
at minimum wages
21
 If we don’t engender
budgets, women’s lives
will be endangered.

Thank
you
22