PAWAN SHARMA Vs. STATE OF MEGHALAYA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) Epilogue: Democracy is the hall mark of civilization. Only those who believe in autocratic rule shun democracy. Even when our country was ruled by the foreigners(the British Monarch) the basic democratic rights of the people were preserved by letting them keep their house in the manner they best thought of. However, some inbuilt guidelines were provided for the self rule. It was this concept of democracy which gave birth to local self Govt all over the world including in our country. In England, which is supposed to be the mother of democracy, the principle of self rule was in vogue from the olden times. In India however, this system though being in vogue unofficially from times immemorial it came to get the Governmental sanction in nineteen century when Panchayat and Municiipal laws were enacted by the British rulers allowing the local people to administer their local governing bodies through their own representatives choosen by them by direct election.

(2.) The job which mainly was allotted to such local Governmental units was of varying nature depending upon the size of the local unit and nature of its requirements. In big cities the job entrusted to these Governmental units mainly were :

(3.) For meeting the required expenses, the local bodies were also authorised to impose and collect taxes. The taxes which could be imposed by it being house and water tax, tolls, market fee, scavanging fee and fees for permission to make construction including fees for issue of licences etc. Apart from this, the State Govts top grave financial assistance to these local self Govt units so as to enable them to defray their expenses which mostly related to employees salaries.