The Economy of Permanence: A Quest for a Social Order Based on Non-violence (स्थायी अर्थतन्त्र)

Economy of Permanence
progressively to a new site nearby with free gift of land and small building
subsidies on a co-operative basis.
10. In all new enterprises and schemes of house building care should be taken
to do away with the present segregation of the Harijan living quarters
from the rest of village.
Village Organization: Village organization can be undertaken under three
institutions- (1) A village panchayat for village administration on the basis of
Village Self-Government, (2) Multipurpose Co-operative Society for the
economic organization of the village and (3) a Gram Seva Sangha to mobilise
non- official support and initiative to back up the work of the whole scheme of
Rural Development on the basis of voluntary effort.

1. The village panchayat- There will have to be a village panchayat for each
   village or a group of villages elected on adult franchise, the villages being
   divided into wards for convenient sections for the purpose.
   The panchayat will have direct responsibility in regard to all village services,
   such as, village roads, village water supply, village education, village
   dispensaries, village sanitation, administration of justice within certain limits,
   village, lighting etc. These services will have to be compulsorily provided for in
   every village. If the revenue raised and allotted is not sufficient to provide for
   those services the deficit should be borne by Government.
   There will be another set of services like libraries, village halls, exhibitions,
   etc., which should be paid for partly by local contributions and partly by
   Government.
   There should be a panchayat union for all the panchayats in the selected areas.
   The duty of such a union will be to link up the various essential services under
   the village panchayats. The union will thus guide, supervise and co-ordinate the
   activities of village panchayats and audit their accounts. The union will further
   undertake basic or post-basic education and maintain bigger hospitals and
   maternity homes. An Assistant Engineer attached to the union will prepare
   estimates and execute all work.
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