Impact of grama panchayat finance in rural development: A case study of yelandur Taluk, Karnataka

Rural development policies aim at the social and economic development of rural areas with the involvement of rural population. Mahatma Gandhi favoured village swaraj or self rule and strengthening the village panchayat to the fullest extent. It is widely accepted that self-governing institutions at the local level are essential for rural development and national growth. The present study tries to analyse the role of finances of Grama Panchayat in rural development in Yelandur taluk, Chamarajanagar district. This study is based on both primary and secondary data. Based on the Human Development Report (HDR) 2015, Four Grama Panchyats in Yelandur taluk were selected for the study. In this context the study analyses the trends in receipts and expenditure of the select Gram Panchayats. It is observed that there is a considerable increase in the flow of finances to the Grama Pachayats which helps for the socio-economic development of the rural areas.