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Woe the people

Woe the people "Independence must begin at the bottom. Thus every village has to be self-sustained and capable of managing its affairs'. The whole troubled question of rural employment and migration, discussed substantially by Mahatma Gandhi, is yet to be resolved or addressed meaningfully by successive governments. The National Democratic Alliance (nda) government's defence expenditure was Rs 12,059.80 crore but agriculture and allied sectors was allocated a mere Rs 40.4 crore (in 2004-05). The United Progressive Alliance (upa) had prioritised rural jobs in its pre-election objectives, but no real progress has been made so far.

Why do well-intentioned plans get routinely derailed in the maze of policymaking and bureaucratic practice? A look at the Citizens Report on Governance and Development 2004 by Social Watch India might reveal some insights into the functioning of the Indian state, regardless of who holds the reins.

Social Watch India, a network of citizen's groups and civil society organisations, comprises such groups as Centre for Youth and Social Development (cysd), Samarthan (Centre for Development Support) and National Centre for Advocacy Studies (ncas). Social Watch seeks accountability and "attempts to monitor institutions of governance and their commitment towards citizens and principles of democracy, particularly with reference to the marginalised sections'.

The state under scrutiny In four interesting, fact-filled sections, the report reviews the performance of the state with a citizen's eye. It looks at Parliament (Seeking Accountability), the impact of policies (Broken Promises), the judiciary (Access to Justice) and aspects of local governance (Grassroots Democracy). How does the functioning

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