ABSTRACT
Karnataka was one of the premier states of the country in Panchayat Raj. The 1983 Act of the Panchayat Raj ushered in a golden age in Karnataka. For one brief shining moment there was Camelot. District government became a reality. The President of the ZP had a high status and enjoyed considerable power. He was the executive head of the ZP. People came to him with their problems. Political decentralization was accomplished to a large extent in the state. The lowest tier of Panchayat Raj was the Mandal Panchayat which incorporated about 20 villages. As such, it was a financially viable entity and a lot of infrastructure came into the village during this period. Planning assumed a grassroots upwards approach and there was an integrated development of the village. The period of five years, from 1987–92, when the Act was in effect, was a decisive moment for local government in Karnataka and indeed, in the country as a whole.
