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This book is the outcome of a cumulative effort of several researchers, agencies, activists and resource persons who studied in depth the question of how the local governments in India with the support and cooperation of civil society organizations are accountable for delivering clean, sustainable and cost-effective basic services to the common villagers. The focus of the study is on civil society organizations and the role these institutions and the Local Government Institutions (LGIs) could play in local governance. The activities of the LGIs and several Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) as well as Community Based Organizations(CBOs) like women's groups, children's groups etc., supported by Plan-India(Plan-I) an international NGO provide the context in which this study has been conducted. Field work for this study was conducted during 2005-07 in eight major states : Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Karnataka, Orissa, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh; and two urban areas: New Delhi and an urban cluster in Ranga Reddy District, Andhra Pradesh. The Plan(I) has been working for last several years in these states. The case of Bihar is different as it did not come under Plan(I). The Bihar experience against the Plan sponsored field studies provides valuable insights into the theme under discussion. It is hoped that this book would generate interest in taking up the critical issues for further investigation. About the Author Buddhadeb Ghosh was a member of the State Civil Service of West Bengal for over three decades, before retiring as Director, State Institute of Panchayats, Kalyani. He is presently Senior Fellow at the Institute of Social Sciences, New Delhi. He has to his credit several papers on rural and urban local government.