All India Panchayat Parishad (AIPP) is the apex body of the
Panchayati Raj Institutions in the country. It has affiliate
organizations in 29 states, making it a truly national body. It is
involved in strengthening Panchayati Raj Institutions and
empowering people at the grass roots level. It is a non-political
and non-party organization and is registered as a society.
AIPP was set up in 1958 at a conference in Deoghar,
Jasidih, Bihar. It was launched in the presence of Late Shri
Balwant Rai Mehta, Loknayak Shri Jay Prakash Narayan and Shri
Guljari Lal Nanda amongst others. Shri Balwant Rai Mehta was
elected as the first President.
The central office of the organizations was moved to Delhi
in 1961 where is established its headquarters namely, Panchayat
Dham in Mayur Vihar Phase-1 in East Delhi on a plot measuring
7.5 acres in area. Loknayak Shri Jay Prakash Narayan took over
the reins of the organizations in 1961 and continued as the
president till 1968. He was followed by late Shri Surendra Kumar
Dey.
The AIPP aims at achieving Gandhi ji’s dream of "Gram Swaraj" AIPP was established to translate to the dream of “Gram Swaraj” of Mahatma Gandhi. According to him gram swaraj must begin from below. In implies that the villages will not deepened for satisfying its basic needs upon to neighbors. But for others needs will seek help from outside. Each village shall produce food, grain and cotton for cloths. Each village should have sufficient land on which its cattle’s may graze and the children and the young may play to entertain then solves. Each village shall be democratic and proposed. None will be illiterate and unemployed. There shall be nutritious food for all, every house for living and enough cotton cloth to cover bodies for all. Each person shall be aware of the rules of the rules of cleanliness and good health and will observe them in their lives. Each village shall have its own theatre and assembly hall. Pure drinking water shall be provided to them caste and practices of untouchability shall have no place there. Gaps before the rich and the poor shall be bridged. Peace force in each village shall defend the people. The governing power of the village government shall be based on non violence. | shall devote myself to build India in which the poorest of the poor shall feel that India is his or her country and his voice has importance in the nation building. True Swaraj cannot be built by oligarchy but itis possible only when all the people are strong enough to oppose the misuse of power and authority.
There are about 908,804,812 rural habitations in the
country. There are an estimated 262,800 gram panchayats in
India today Panchayats cover about 96% of India's more than 5.8
lakh (580,000) villages and nearly 99.6% of the rural population,
and 6613 intermediary or block-level Panchayats, and 630 district
level panchayats.
The All India Panchayat Parishad operates through its
Working Committee which has strength of 31 elected
representatives. The General Body elects members to the council
which operates as the advisory body, generally consisting of
members of Zilla Parishads, Blocks and Panchayat Samitis. In
addition, AIPP has 29 state affiliate/organizations that extend the
system to the grass roots level.