Synopsis It is a book containing well-researched articles on local good governance and grassroots development in India in general and West Bengal in particular. All the papers seek to critically analyse the available secondary material in order to identify the issues of concern and suggest remedial measures. Primary data have however been generated and used for two articles which seek to explore dynamics of the working of the grassroots democratic institutions in rural and urban West Bengal. Precisely, all the papers in the book familiarise the readers with the emerging dynamics and critical issues concerning good governance and participatory development at the grassroots level.