Inside the Slow Machinery of Local Power: How Rural Governance Works in Practice

A defining focus of KL Hatke is  to understand how local government institutions and systems shape rural life, not just on paper but in practice. In this dispatch, we explore the functioning of local administration in Bundelkhand through the lens of two Dalit women elected representatives: a Block Pramukh (Head of Block Panchayat) and a Ward Councillor. Through them we understand how policy, bureaucracy, caste, and politics intersect to shape development on the ground, from roads and water projects to sanitation and women’s empowerment.  On a blistering July afternoon in Chitrakoot, the block panchayat hall smells faintly of dust and damp files. A ceiling fan clicks with each rotation, struggling against the 40°C heat. The room is plain: mismatched chairs,