Bureaucracy and Rural Development in Mizoram

Bureaucracy is the dependable machinery all over the world including India through which the states implement development programmes. In fact, bureaucracy is an integral part of the execution of rural development process in India. However, the failure of bureaucracy to enthuse people’s participation and successful implementation led to decentralisation of authority and power to local self-governing institutions—the PRIs to have the entire charge of developmental works. While rural development programmes are now implemented with the coordination of ‘rural bureaucracy and PRIs’, in case of Mizoram, since PRIs not introduced (exempted from 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act) and the existing Village Councils not viable as PRIs, the State is depend on bureaucracy which assumes more power and influence. Block level bureaucracy in particular, occupies a decisive role in the implementation of rural development programmes and to stimulate people’s participation in development. However, it failed to bring significant changes in the living conditions of the village people as expected and could not live up to the expectations of the rural people. In this context, the present book “Bureaucracy and Rural Development in Mizoram” acquires much significance. It has an in-depth assessment on block level bureaucracy conducted in Lunglei district of Mizoram. It also examines the perceptions of grassroots bureaucracy, democratic decentralisation, problems and prospects of rural development in Mizoram and suggested suitable measures. This book is expected to enrich the scanty literature on bureaucracy and rural development in the region.