In order to decentralise the planning process, Article 243ZD of the Constitution of India directs states to constitute District Planning Committees which are responsible for formulating draft district plans by consolidating the plans of the panchayats and municipal bodies. This provision of the Constitution however, does not cover certain parts of the country.

Maharashtra is the first state in the country to launch state-wide reforms by empowering communities represented by Village Panchayat and VWSC to plan, design, execute and manage investment in drinking water and sanitation sector. This has entailed moving from top driven to bottom driven decision-making and involving beneficiaries at all level of service delivery with the aim that facilitated communities can sustainable manage their resources.

This comparative study of panchayat elections in West Bengal and Punjab focuses on the broad objective of studying the process of institutionalisation of panchayati raj institutions. What forms they take in different contexts? What factors facilitate or retard the process?

Afghanistan has signed a near-identical MoU with three institutions in India - Indian Institute of Public Administration (IIPA), Society for Participatory Research in Asia (PRIA) and Institute of Social Sciences (ISS) for collaboration to promote the cause of local government.

Decentralization is broadly defined as transfer of power to the lower level of government (PRIs). It mainly takes three forms, namely political, administrative and fiscal.

Despite substantial decentralisation of power through panchayati raj institutions in West Bengal, the presence of an entrenched centralised party in power in the state has meant the use of such institutions as instruments of patronage. Violent battles have invariably taken place during panchayat elections, as these are seen as necessary by all political parties to capture or retain hold over the institutions.