A general conclusion which we reach from this review is that many states in India have tended to retain powers of appointment, transfer, revenue generation, spending, etc. at the expense of the Panchayats. In all of these States, substantive efforts to devolve funds, functions and functionary have followed periods of political contest among parties whose electoral support has been based in large part on the rural poor. In this context, decentralization has been interpreted as a means of supporting – or at least placating – the interests of these groups.