Lokraj Andolan

Bihar’s remarkable recovery

Check out this interesting article in the Economist about the progress made in Bihar. Another case for greater local self-governance is captured in the following lines from the article.

According to Sushil Modi, Bihar’s deputy chief minister, the biggest problem for all the poorer states is “the crisis of implementation”. “Even if we have the money,” he asks, “how to spend that money?” Mr Kumar cannot solve this from Patna. He must instead breathe life into the panchayats, the elected village councils supposedly accountable for local schemes. But in Bihar, the councils have been through only one electoral cycle. Thepanchayats remain beholden to the old elites.