WORKING OF GRAM SABHAS IN KARNATAKA - A STUDY AT MICROLEVEL

Since Independence several attempts have taken place for decentralisat ion through Panchayati Raj institutions in India. On the same path, Ka mataka state also has followed its own experiments. The present attemp t is to make an enquiry about gram sabha which forms the grassroot lev el component of Panchayati Raj institutions and decentralised planning in Kamataka. The paper also tries to examine the structure of gram sa bha in phase-wise manner under Kamataka Panchayati Raj Acts. To analys e the structural gaps and functional gaps about gram sabha in Kamataka two case studies were drawn from Bangalore (Rural) district and Dharw ad district and they are analysed in the frame of Kamataka Zilla Paris had, Taluk Panchayat Samithi, Mandal Panchayat and Nyaya Panchayat Act , 1985. These case studies reveal that people's attendance and partici pation in gram sabha shows a declining trend. Further, this paper also points out certain uncertainties with gram sabha under the 73rd const itutional Amendment.