In its Vision 2020 document, the Andhra Pradesh government had emphasised its commitment to strengthening local bodies by promising to devolve more responsibilities to local bodies. This paper looks at the current status of the decentralisation experience across local government institutions. The government has, at the same time, also experimented with parallel community-based organisations in its attempt to bring direct democracy to the people. This often leads to work at cross-purposes, progress of administrative and financial devolution has been tardy.
