ABSTRACT
The chapter aims at making a critical review based mainly in terms of three criteria: nature of power-play between different stakeholders including politicians and bureaucracy, and their attitude and cooperation, deepening of democracy and development outcomes or performance. It provides the necessary institutional background. Many organizations have been roped in by state government or have voluntarily provided technical support to Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) members. The organizations working in support of Panchayati Raj fall into three broad categories: government bodies like state training academies and institutes of rural development; research and academic groups that are often funded by national or state governments but have their own separate identities; and nongovernment organizations (NGOs) working with PRIs. Ensuring the availability of functionaries is a major requirement of deepening democracy as it strengthens the PRI by equipping them with competent manpower. The state government employees assigned to the panchayat institutions have to be made accountable to the panchayats.
