Panchayati without raj
- 1998
- p.346-55
- Jul-Dec
Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) emerged during post-independence as units of self-governance at district level and below. These institutions, hailed as a versatile and unique Indian contribution to the theory and practice of local governments, are still in the proces of evolution after undergoing a series of morphological changes. The Constitution 73rd Amendment Act has conferred a statutory status on them. One basic issue remains, that is, PRIs' territorial domain being restricted to rural areas and functions to development works only. It is necessary to examine if this has no done injustice to the principle underlying the concept of self-governing institutions. This paper analyses this issue and considers the possible consequences of empowering PRIs with regulatory as well as development functions and not restricting them functionally to rural areas. - Reproduced