Conclusion

The overall experience of the 73rd and 74th Amendments suggests that, so far, local governments in India continue to function mainly as agencies that implement welfare and development schemes designed by the central and State governments, rather than as fully independent decision-making bodies in their own right. Giving local government more real power means being genuinely prepared for real decentralisation of power — not just its formal, legal appearance. Ultimately, democracy means that power should actually be shared with the people: villagers and urban residents alike need real power to decide the policies and programmes that affect their own lives, not merely a vote for representatives who then implement decisions made elsewhere. The laws creating local governments are certainly an important step in the direction of democratisatio …