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This volume analyses the complexity of local governance, both rural and urban, in contemporary India. It argues that there is more to local governance today than a focus on decentralization. The essays illuminate some of the lesser known aspects of the interface between panchayats and other institutions of local governance, whether district administration or parastatal agencies and civil society organizations. The essays stress the continued domination of bureaucracy and local elites over elected local bodies and the persistence of rent-seeking in development works. In addition, the volume pays special attention to regional variations across states in the broader context of local governance, drawing out important comparative lessons. Sections in the book look at the relationship between institutions at the local level and panchayats, sectoral experiences in health and primary education, local governance in the urban and rural setting, and finally issues of transparency, representation, and accountability in local governance.
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