VILLAGE LEADERSHIP 67 "working ofpanchayati raj institutions, and questions about honesty of local officials were asked to measure it. INST: Gat TABLE X'ITUTIONAL VIABIUTegories of Leaders Y Total A B G Much effective 16.70 20.00 24.28 16.99 Somewhat effective 28.00 20.00 21.04 23.00 Not much 55.54 60.00 63.70 60.91 Totat (Approx.) 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 N 18 10 14 42 Table X shows that 60.91 per cent of the leaders from all the categories feel that panchayati raj institutions have not sufficient authority to take effective action for local development. They also feel that the local leaders have no authority to take effective action for local development. The basic reason of leaders' ineffectiveness is that they do not have good relations with local officials and the people in general have no sufficient faith in leaders. They charge that after independence, the government has not taken effective measures to improve the social, educational, cultural and economic conditions. There are leaders who feel that the panchayati raj institutions, the leaders, the government officials and the people are not so effective in performing their duties. The main reason is that they do not want to do a stroke of work. Only 23 per cent from all categories of leaders hold this view. However, 16.99 per cent of leaders from all the categories expressed their satisfaction over the effectiveness of panchayati raj institutions, government and the people in general. At the same time it is interesting to note that 48.13 per cent of leaders from all categories feel that regional development responsibility lies entirely with the government. Only 33.97 per cent perceive the people as being responsible for local development while 17.86 per cent seem to think that both the people and the government are responsible. These findings are consistent with the fact that development programmes are funnelled through the government and bureaucracy. The scope for local initiative is limited to programmes that the government has endorsed. The local leaders visualize themselves as passive recipients of such aid and benefits as are given to them by the official agencies and personnel. 1 K K Singh, Value» Leadership and Development, The Research Programme Committee Planning Commission, Government of India. 2 H H Girth and C Wright Mills (eds.) From Max Weber: Essays in Sociology, Routledge, and Kcgan Paul, London 1948, chapter 1, pp 1-4. » Ibid., p 115. ^ Ibid., p 12.