Empowering conditions in the decentralisation process: an analysis of dynamics, factors and actors in Panchayati Raj institutions from West Bengal and Karnataka, India

Decentralisation is often regarded as a viable alternative to centralised government. Yet the reality of devolution has often proved to be disappointing in practice. The failure of such experiments in the past can be attributed to a number of factors: political, economic, and socio cultural. This study will explore the necessary conditions for an effective and accountable local self-governance system, in the context of the Panchayati Raj Institution (local self governance) in two Indian States, namely Karnataka and West Bengal. It will address two questions in particular: What are the institutional conditions existing and necessary for the successful implementation of the PRI? How does decentralisation aid in alternative development and especially in equitable development? By exploring these questions, the paper attempts to come up with a new interpretation of decentralisation.