Haryana Clears Bill on Right to Recall Panchayat Member

The Haryana Assembly on 6th November 2021 passed the Haryana Panchayati Raj (Second Amendment) Bill, 2020.

Major Provisions of the Bill

  1. Right to Recall: The Bill provides the right to recall members of Panchayati Raj institutions. The Bill allows the recall of village sarpanches and members of the block-level panchayat samitis and district-level zila parishads if they fail to perform.
    • To recall a sarpanch and members of the two bodies, 50% members of a ward or gram sabha have to give in writing that they want to initiate proceedings. This will be followed by a secret ballot, in which their recall will require two-third members voting against them.
  2. Reservation to Women: The Bill has provision of 50% reservation to women in these rural bodies.
  3. Reservation to “more disadvantaged”: The Bill also proposes 8% reservation to the “more disadvantaged” among the Backward Classes.

Pros & Cons of ‘Right to Recall’

Right to Recall is a right which vests the electorate with the power to remove the elected officials before the expiry of their usual terms.

Pros

  • Builds an effective, responsive and participatory democracy
  • Enhances democratic accountability of the governing in Panchayati Raj
  • Leads to citizen empowerment and increase citizens' trust and satisfaction with their representatives
  • It provides for continuous accountability, so that voters need not wait until the next election to rid themselves of an incompetent, dishonest, unresponsive, or irresponsible public official
  • The recall offers a safety-valve mechanism for intense feelings. Right to recall can serve as an alternative to actions such as popular protests.

Examples of effective use of ‘Right to Recall’

In 2002, voters of extremely poor Anuppur -- and in 2003, voters of extremely rich California -- successfully exercised the right to recall an elected representative for non-performance. As a result Palavika Patel, the former president of Anuppur municipality in Madhya Pradesh, India and Gray Davis, former governor of California, USA were recalled.

Cons

  • Citizens are often not properly equipped to judge their representatives' policy choices.
  • Frequent recalls might then lead to polarization and mutual hatred between opposing parties, provoking “spirals of ever more vitriolic recall campaigns” and disincentivizing loyal opposition.
  • If citizens keep recalling representatives without seeing any improvement, they might end up losing faith in elections (and recalls).

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