District Governments and Decentralized Planning: Karnataka Show the Way...

Abstract

From Foreward: When Gandhiji spoke of Grama Swaraj, few people understood its real implication. Even during the British time, there were local self government institutions such as municipal and district boards. These institutions were invested with certain powers and resources. But ironically it was after the advent of freedom that the local self government institutions lost whatever powers they had. Jawaharlal Nehru gave a new thrust to the concept of local self government and chose Shri S.K. Dey as his instrument for the implementation of a new programme called “democratic decentralisation”. Balwantrai Mehta Committee’s report was accepted by the governments both at the Centre as well as in the States. But in many States, its implementation was only half-hearted.