Panchayati raj institutions and rural development in Punjab

Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) have been proclaimed as the vehicles of socio economic transformation in rural India. The passage of 73rd constitutional amendment in 1992 was a turning point in the history of rural development in India. The Punjab Panchayati Raj Act came into effect on 21st April 1994 replacing the Punjab Gram Panchayat Act 1952 and the Panchayat Samiti and Zila Parishad Act 1961. 73^rd amendment has given constitutional recognition to the Panchayati Raj Institutions for maximizing social upliftment of the rural population. An intricate analysis is imperative to augment our understanding of the role of Panchayati Raj Institutions as a whole. The present paper aims to find out various factors having positive impact on the development of rural society as well as factors negating the effectiveness of such institutions to fulfill its root objectives.