Book excerpt: This book is a result of a piece of field-based research that discusses the institutional arrangements and workings of the rural local governments, otherwise known as the Panchayati Raj institutions, in rural and tribal areas (scheduled areas) in the context of the enactment of important constitutional and legal provisions. It focuses on understanding decentralised governance through political structures and workings of rural local governments and the contributions of these institutions in shaping the political economy of the tribal people in India through the case of Odisha. It highlights the Panchayati Raj institutions that have been instrumental in strengthening the local politics and governance, as well as propelling the economic development, of tribal communities in rural areas. It demonstrates that effective implementation is the tantamount of strengthening the livelihoods of poor tribal people.