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Local Governance in North-East India
A Case of Dismal State in Mizoram
After the First World War
The world had witnessed increasing decentralization and concentration of power and authority both in developed and underdeveloped countries. However, governments around the world began to realize that centralized government have failed to deliver public services during decades 1960s and 1970s. Decentralization of power, authority, and resources has been recommended.
Post-1980s Developments
As a result of the fall of authoritarian regimes in Latin America in the 1980s and Central and Eastern Europe by the 1990s, the spread of democratic principles, the prescription of IMF and World Bank and other International Development agencies prescribing decentralization as the structure needed to strengthen democracy and good governance, there has been renewed global interest in decentralization.
Decentralization in India
In India, the Indian Constitution, both through Directive Principles of State Policy and the 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments, provides a clear mandate for democratic decentralization. It seeks to create an institutional framework for grassroots democracy through the medium of self-governing local bodies in both rural and urban areas.
Recent Developments
After the Ministry of Panchayati Raj was set up in 2004, the local government agenda has received much wider public attention. The book is about the working of local governance in Mizoram—functioning of village councils in regard to regulatory functions and development functions—and the nature of urban local government.
Challenges in Decentralization
The book suggests that despite constitutional mandates, devolution and transfer of power, responsibilities, functional activities, finance, and functionaries have not been achieved in real terms in many states. The reasons for the overall weaknesses of the process of devolution, the book indicates, can be identified in Mizoram and possibly elsewhere as: lack of political will of political parties for decentralization; lack of public awareness and vigilance; lack of orientation of officials in giving cooperation to local governments; bureaucracies have not learned to work with the elected local governments; decision-making not yet broad-based; rules and procedures not adequately framed.
