ARUN GHOSH'S article on local-level administration in West Bengal (January 16) gives an impression that the land reforms programme in the state has gone off the rails. Besides land reforms programme a large number of issues have been raised by the author while reviewing Kirsten Wester- gaard's report on rural development in West Bengal. It may be noted that the report presents the results of a survey in four gram panchayat areas, two in Birbhum and one each in Bankura and Murshidabad districts. Certain sweeping generalisations have been made both in A Ghosh's note and in Wester- gaard's report on land reforms in West Bengal.