<P> But, the Montague - Chemsford reforms (1919) brought local self - government as a provincial transferred subject, under the domain of Indian ministers in the provinces . Due to organisational and fiscal constraints, the reform was unable to make panchayat institutions truly democratic and vibrant . However, the most significant development of this period was the' establishment of village panchayats in a number of provinces, that were no longer mere ad hoc judicial tribunal, but representative institutions symbolising the corporate character of the village and having a wide jurisdiction in respect of civic matters '. l By 1925, eight provinces had passed panchayat acts and by 1926, six native states had also passed panchayat laws . </P> <P> The provincial autonomy under the Government of India Act, 1935, marked the evolution of panchayats in India . Popularly elected governments in provinces enacted legislations to further democratize institutions of local self - government . But the system of responsible government at the grassroots level was least responsible . D.P. Mishra, the then minister for local self - government under the Government of India Act of 1935 in Central Provinces was of the view that' the working of our local bodies...in our province and perhaps in the whole country presents a tragic picture ...' Inefficiency' and' local body' have become synonymous terms ...' . </P> <P> In spite of various committees such as the Royal Commission on Decentralization (1907), the report of Montague and Chemsford on constitutional reform (1919), the Government of India Resolution (1919), etc., a hierarchical administrative structure based on supervision and control evolved . The administrator became the focal point of rural governance . The British were not concerned with decentralized democracy but were aiming for colonial objectives . </P> <P> The Indian National Congress from the 1920s to 1947, emphasized the issue of all - India Swaraj, and organized movements for Independence under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi . The task of preparing any sort of blueprint for the local level was neglected as a result . There was no consensus among the top leaders regarding the status and role to be assigned to the institution of rural local self - government; rather there were divergent views on the subject . On the one end Gandhi favoured Village Swaraj and strengthening the village panchayat to the fullest extent and on the other end, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar opposed this idea . He believed that the village represented regressive India, a source of oppression . The model state hence had to build safeguards against such social oppression and the only way it could be done was through the adoption of the parliamentary model of politics During the drafting of the Constitution of India, Panchayati Raj Institutions were placed in the non-justiciable part of the Constitution, the Directive Principles of State Policy, as Article 40 . The Article read' the State shall take steps to organize village panchayats and endow them with such powers and authority as may be necessary to enable them to function as units of self - government' . However, no worthwhile legislation was enacted either at the national or state level to implement it . </P>

Who is known as the father of panchayati raj in india