The Caucus and the Masses

The Left Front government of West Bengal forgets that legislation is no substitute for action. Kerala's Peopleâ??s Plan campaign did not require any change of law. In West Bengal legislation is creating tier after tier of non-functional panchayati raj bodies without resources, functions and functionaries. The creation of Village Development Committees under the West Bengal Panchayat (Amendment) Act 2003 passed in July this year is a case in point. It is a grand exercise in shadow boxing.