The much vaunted 201 MW Arun III is certainly not a huge power project by global standards. Nor was it one of World Bank's biggest investments. Yet when the bank announced its withdrawal from the power project after backing it for 10 years, it had been an enlighytening experience for the donor agency. Arun by then had gained a much greater significance. It was more than a power project. It was a public relations debacle for the bank and critics were quick to point at the donor's oversights.