74 SOCIAL SCIENTIST TABLE I WAGE RATES TOR AGRICULTURAL LABOURERS DURING SOWING SEASONS IN 1976 AND 1979 1976 1979 Birbhum 6.01 6.47 Nadia 5.68 6.75 Hooghly 5.74 8.50 West Dinajpur 4.79 5.75 Coochbchar 6.01 6.57 24-Parganas 6.58 8 27 SOURCE: Economic Review 1979-80', Government of West Bengal, p 33. administrative machinery, in protecting the real interest of the agricultural labourers. Furthermore, how the panchayati institution in West Bengal is threatening the real power base of the rural vested interests is evidenced by the attitude of the Central government towards the manner in which the West Bengal government is implementing the Food for Work programme. At present the state government is using the panchayati institutions in operating the programme. As we know the majority of the panchayafs are under the control of the ruling Left Front, particularly CPI (M). Its political opponents, specially the Congress (I), have been attacking this arrangement. The Left Front is gaining influence among the rural poor from this programme by bringing about socio-economic changes in the entire rural life. These have created an awkward situation for the opposition political parties who arc largely supporters of the rural vested interests. That is why they have suggested that the agency for operating the programme should not be the panchayats. It is interesting to note that in the national context these parties praise panchayati raj, democratic decentralization and people's involve^ ment. They sing praise of that system so long as it helps their vested interests. But since now the ball is rolling in the opposite direction, they arc opposing it. The Central government is insisting that the Food for Work programme has to be implemented through government officials and not through the panchayats, the elected representatives of the villages. These arc some of the examples of the activities of the panchayati institutions in West Bengal which indicate how, within the present constitutional set-up and with limited powers and resources, panchayati institutions arc making sincere efforts to improve the conditions of rural life, and the power base of the vested interests of the rural rich is being shaken. In the light of the valuable experience gained from the activities of panchayati institutions in West Bengal is is difficult to agree with Pathy's observations. It