Illusion and reality of rural development
Thursday, 26 November 2009
Syed Ashraful Hasan
THE government needs to accelerate developmental activities in the rural areas. For this purpose it should spend more to build infrastructure for rural economy. Budgets in recent years allocated more resources for the country-side. But the question is, how much of it is really spent to develop rural economy. When political activists and the cronies of the parties in power pocket what they like, training programmes, irrigation and agricultural projects and development of roads cannot get the allocated funds in full for the real purpose for which such resources are meant.
Only a determined government can build rural infrastructure. An accountable government would prefer to empower the local government to make the task easier. There is hardly any effective local government at the grass-roots now. The indecision of the government on what model of local government to choose, is responsible for the situation. The government needs to give up its indecision. It should take a decision with an open mind to empower the elected local bodies to plan and implement local development projects.
The government needs to spend more on literacy, primary and secondary education programmes in the rural areas for a wider impact. Only supervision by accountable local government, can ensure proper utilisation of the resources spent on education in the rural areas. The government needs to set up skill training centres throughout the countryside to create manpower for economic activities.
The governmental programme for the rural areas have to be integrated for 'sustainable poverty alleviation and development.' Extra care must be taken to prevent people from sliding back to poverty. Rural insurance, price support and a law to prevent distress sale of assets would help rural people consolidate their economic gains.
THE government needs to accelerate developmental activities in the rural areas. For this purpose it should spend more to build infrastructure for rural economy. Budgets in recent years allocated more resources for the country-side. But the question is, how much of it is really spent to develop rural economy. When political activists and the cronies of the parties in power pocket what they like, training programmes, irrigation and agricultural projects and development of roads cannot get the allocated funds in full for the real purpose for which such resources are meant.
Only a determined government can build rural infrastructure. An accountable government would prefer to empower the local government to make the task easier. There is hardly any effective local government at the grass-roots now. The indecision of the government on what model of local government to choose, is responsible for the situation. The government needs to give up its indecision. It should take a decision with an open mind to empower the elected local bodies to plan and implement local development projects.
The government needs to spend more on literacy, primary and secondary education programmes in the rural areas for a wider impact. Only supervision by accountable local government, can ensure proper utilisation of the resources spent on education in the rural areas. The government needs to set up skill training centres throughout the countryside to create manpower for economic activities.
The governmental programme for the rural areas have to be integrated for 'sustainable poverty alleviation and development.' Extra care must be taken to prevent people from sliding back to poverty. Rural insurance, price support and a law to prevent distress sale of assets would help rural people consolidate their economic gains.