Decentralisation and Supply Efficiency: The case of Rural Water Supply in Central India
研究了印度中部饮用水供给分权化的效果，比较了邦政府和地方政府控制下的供水单位在费用和资产利用上的效率，发现分权化反而导致效率降低。
Demand for decentralisation of provision of public services is gaining ground in developing countries. Also, the policy advice to decentralise given by international agencies to the developing countries is turning into pressure. However, the benefits of decentralisation are not as obvious as the standard theory of fiscal federalism predicts. This article examines the effect of decentralisation of provision of drinking water in central India. The efficiency of water utilities under the control of the state government and those under the local governments is compared in terms of expense and asset utilisation. It is found that the decentralised provision of water supply is less efficient. The possible reasons for this counter intuitive result are analysed.