Role of Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) in Rural Development of Uttarakhand

Overall development of country is the main objective of Indian government since its independence. In the earlier Plans the main thrust for development was laid on Agriculture, Industry, Communication, Education, Health and Allied sectors but soon it was realized that the all-round development of the country is possible only through the development of rural India. Keeping this in view, Panchayati Raj Institutions have been introduced under the 73rd Amendment Act of the Constitution of India in 1992. Rural Development includes measures to strengthen the democratic structure of society through the Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs). It also includes measures to improve the rural infrastructure, improve income of rural households and delivery systems pertaining to education, health & safety mechanisms. The Panchayats are expected to play an important role in rural development in India, particularly after independence. Plan documents of both the central and state governments and various committees have emphasized the importance of these bodies in the polity. The present paper is an attempt to evaluate the role of role of panchayati raj institutions (PRIs) in rural development of Uttarakhand. It has been shown that the government in spite of providing huge amount of funds remains unsuccessful in fostering the growth of rural India. There is a need to keep a strict watch over the utilization of fund by Gram Panchayat.