Dear readers,

It sounds very democratic to espouse that Panchayats decide amongst themselves policies towards their future - not only in terms of basic amenities but also in terms of all round development of village resources. One wonders what all these trained, highly professional bureaucrats who are supposed to be neutral agents of the state in implementing schemes and changing the lives of people in a particular unit, be it Panchayat, block, village, whatever -  are doing. Because, it now seems that what they are mandated to do are being delegated to the Panchayats. Let us not forget that we are educationally challenged and plagued by low levels of awareness. Thus putting the onus on the Panchayats, even to outsource quality services, is actually absolving the state machinery of its responsibility to facilitate basic services and amenities. It is an ominous trend that in the name of decentralization government is completely washing its hand off from performing its basic duty of serving the nation. And what is more worrying is that the major casualty will be accountability of the government. We have recently seen lakhs of tons of grains rotting with no one held responsible with the dereliction of duties. From the country with a target of zero tolerance, we are now heading towards zero accountability.

The water matters issue, highlights policy matters, showcases state studies and brings to light the extreme event status in the country. The energy section is dedicated to sustainable practices by prominent oil companies and renewable energy news. Also thrown in is a water matters crossword and term power to exercise your prowess.

Enjoy.