Decentralised Governance and the Delivery Of Social Security Benefits

Abstract

Democracy is the most widely accepted form of government, guaranteeing the direct participation of the people in the political process. The 73rd Constitutional Amendment strengthened administrative federalism by encouraging the devolution of administrative and financial powers from the states to local bodies, and the Panchayat Raj Institutions proved crucial in carrying out the state’s social security programmes, not least during the COVID-19 pandemic. This paper examines the effectiveness of local self-government (LSG) institutions in delivering social security benefits, drawing on a primary survey of 615 beneficiaries and non-beneficiaries across grama panchayats, municipalities and corporations in the Kozhikode district of Kerala. The survey shows that elected ward members are the single most important source of information about social security schemes, that a clear majority of respondents regard LSG institutions as at least somewhat effective in delivery, and that delay, in both the selection of beneficiaries and the disbursement of benefits, is overwhelmingly the most common criticism. Respondents call above all for greater regularity in distribution and for higher benefit amounts. The paper argues that decentralisation deepens democracy and strengthens social-service delivery, but that the system must be continuously assessed and reformed, and that social security should be reconceived as a right rather than a charity if delivery is to be made timely, transparent and accountable.