About the Book
This book is concerned with a narration of the author's experience in regard to the introduction of decentralised planning (by the panchayats) at the block and district level in West Bengal. This narration takes the form of a travel diary; the author never having lived in Bengal earlier, tells of his impressions and experiences as he travelled around in the countryside, meeting the panchayat and departmental authorities in different parts of the State. The author's visits took him to some remote corners; and the book is thus an admixture of a travel diary, a record of the life and living conditions of the ordinary villagers, of the internal conflicts within government, of the problems facing the people, of the problems of reaching the benefits of planned development to the people, and of the problems involved in the introduction of decentralized planning through the panchayats.
The different chapters, dealing with separate visits (and by and large separate themes) are self contained except that they are set chronologically in time. The under-lying strand of thought, emphasising the importance of relying on the peoples own judgment emerges as a lesson in governance in a democracy.
In the words of Prof. Bhabatosh Datta, one of the doyens among economists in the country, "not only does the volume contain more economics than many large tomes, it has in addition an alluring literary grace."
About the Author
Dr. Arun Ghosh has long been associated with economic research and economic ad-ministration. He was India's alternate executive director on the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, economic adviser to the government of India, additional secretary (industry, later mines), secretary to the government and chairman company law board, and chairman bureau of industrial costs and prices. After retirement, he was invited to be vice chairman of the West Bengal state planning board. He is currently engaged in commenting on economic issues, and writes regularly in the Economic and Political Weekly.
Introduction
Dr. Arun Ghosh has long been associated with economic research and economic ad-ministration. He was India's alternate executive director on the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, economic adviser to the government of India, additional secretary (industry, later mines), secretary to the government and chairman company law board, and chairman bureau of industrial costs and prices. After retirement, he was invited to be vice chairman of the West Bengal state planning board. He is currently engaged in commenting on economic issues, and writes regularly in the Economic and Political Weekly.
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