Role of Panchayati Raj Institutions in Rural Development: An Analytical Study of Arunachal Pradesh

Abstract

Rural Development is viewed as strategy to bring improvement in the economic, political and social life of the rural people. The participation of people in rural development is a must because the developmental activities have to be carried out by the government along with their cooperation. The local government is considered as an instrument of development and welfare programmes. The full benefit of democracy can be realized only when there is true devolution of both power and resources down to the grassroots. Arunachal Pradesh, predominantly a tribal state with more than 26 major tribes and several dozen of minor groups fulfilled the constitutional requirement of institutional arrangement for decentralisation with formulation of Arunachal Pradesh Panchayati Raj Act, 1997 by replacing the NEFA (North Eastern Frontier Agency) Panchayati Raj Regulation, 1967. However, people still suffer from socio-economic backwardness and yet to reap the benefit of devolution of power to the people. Hence, the study is an attempt to analyse the role of panchayati raj institutions in rural development and perception of the rural locals in three districts of Arunachal Pradesh.