THE BALWANT RAI MEHTA COMMITTEE ON COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM | UPSCGUIDE

The Balwant Rai Mehta Committee was appointed by the Government of India in 1957 to examine the working of the Community Development Programme (1952) and the National Extension Service (1953). Its recommendations laid the foundational architecture for local self-governance in India.
Key Recommendations
Three-Tier Panchayati Raj System: The committee proposed a democratic decentralized structure consisting of:
Gram Panchayat at the village level (directly elected).
Panchayat Samiti at the block level (indirectly elected; the pivotal body).
Zila Parishad at the district level (advisory and supervisory body).
Democratic Decentralization: It emphasized that genuine power and responsibility should be transferred to these local bodies to ensure public participation in community development.
Linkage: The tiers should be linked by a system of indirect elections to maintain administrative continuity.
Resources: These bodies should be provided with adequate resources and power to discharge their duties effectively.
Role of Collector: The District Collector was proposed as the Chairman of the Zila Parishad.
Impact
The recommendations were accepted by the National Development Council in 1958. Consequently, Rajasthan became the first state to adopt the system in Nagaur district on October 2, 1959



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