Patna, April 18: As the Assembly elections got off in Bengal, Bihar kick-started the process for the local body polls — the democratic exercise that has changed the balance of power at the grassroots level in the state.

The 10-phase rural polls in the state begin on Wednesday (April 20).

After the Nitish Kumar government introduced 50 per cent reservation to women and gave the mukhiyas, block pramukhs and district chairmen more power and autonomy in 2006 under the Bihar State Panchayat Raj Act 1993, these positions have emerged as the “actual vehicle” to formulate and implement development schemes at the local level.

With the local bodies rising in power and stature, the grassroots level polls are scheduled to be conducted under the watchful eye of the top echelons of the state’s administrative and police set-up besides the state election commission headed by J.K. Dutta. The district magistrates are busy setting up camp at the block offices to monitor the elections.

“All the district magistrates have been instructed to camp at their respective block offices at least a day ahead of the polls,” said principal secretary, home, Amir Subhani. Director-general of police Neel Mani asked all superintendents of police to maintain “round-the-clock vigil” in the panchayats going to the polls.

With the government depriving the legislators of their local area development fund worth Rs 1 crore per annum, the lawmakers stand reduced in their financial power and related clout at the local level. On the other hand, the local bodies’ representatives — still unshackled from the parties’ disciplinary guidelines — have relatively grown in financial and executive muscle.

Under law, the government directly transfers the fund for various rural development schemes to the local bodies which mukhiyas, block pramukhs and district chairmen are empowered to handle. Sources in the rural development department revealed that a mukhiya receives at least Rs 85 lakh to Rs 1 crore per annum to spend on development schemes in his respective panchayat.

“Similarly, a pramukh is to his block what a chief minister to his state. Like the way the chief secretary functions as the executive officer to the CM, the block development officer (BDO) too acts as the executive officer to the pramukh who has access to and control over the funds in his block,” said Praduman Singh, an elected councillor in Siwan district.

Likewise, the district development officer, usually an IAS officer, is the executive officer of the elected district chairman.

With the local bodies’ gaining in financial and administrative clout, the positions of district chairmen, pramukhs and mukhiyas are believed to be more sought-after than those of MLAs and MLCs.

“We have no authority at the local level. If we call up a BDO, it might amount to interference in the local administration,” lamented a ruling JD(U) legislator. “Our power is limited to raising our voice during the Assembly session. Earlier, with the local area development fund at our disposal, we used to carry out development work in our constituencies,” he added.

Chief minister Nitish Kumar substituted the local area fund with a Rs 338-crore composite fund. Now, the MLAs are only supposed to recommend the work in accordance with the share of fund allocated in their jurisdiction, which would be implemented by the local bodies and government agencies concerned.

Altogether, there are 26,000 local bodies’ posts in the state for which a whopping 5,57,663 candidates are in the fray. As many as 1,34,195 candidates contesting for the posts of mukhiya, block pramukh, district chairmen, councillors and ward members in 37 of the state’s 38 districts would try their luck in the first phase on April 20.

Sources at the state election office revealed that each panchayat had at least seven to 10 candidates for mukhiyas in the fray.