So near, so far

Panchayati raj has many failures. And, many ways of looking at it

THE discussion on panchayats remains polarised. Proponents of new economic models and privatisation decry panchayati raj as another drain on the exchequer, pointing to their corruption and inefficiency. The proponents of decentralised governance say panchayats serve a large country like India well, and that these have delivered despite constraints. They want reforms in institutional structures.

What is surprising is that even after 15 years since these so-called