Some Successful Panchayats-Case Studies

Abstract

Since its establishment the Programme Evaluation Organization has concentrated on the annual evaluation of the Community Development programme. Its studies which have been, generally, based upon countrywide collection of statistical data have been designed to give aggregate pictures of the programme in operation. For example the PEO had undertaken in 1957-58 a study of the working of 60 panchayats in 15 evaluation centres with the primary object of assessing their roles in development programmes. Naturally this study covered successful and unsuccessful ventures. But the latter so outnumbered the former that the lessons which these might contain did not come out sufficiently. It is to fill in this lacunae in some measure that the PEO decided last year, to undertake a detailed examination of a few successful panchayats. The main purpose was to discover the factors responsible for their success.