B. India. The experience of rural public works programmes in India, with special reference to the Punjab
Kahlon, A.S.; Deb, P.C.
Planning for effective ic works programmes Case studies from Bangladesh, India and Pakistan: 69-89
1979
Document Number: 430302
The paper reviews the experience of the rural works programme of India from the early 1960s until the present, and investigates several issues which surround the development and implementation of any rural works programme. These issues deal with the questions of (a) the nature and number of personnel needed to administer a "grass-roots" level programme; (b) the degree of decentralization needed for programme success; (c) the physical location of the programme projects for successful implementation; (d) the proper motivation and remuneration for programme success; (e) the need to incorporate work habits and social customs of various groups into a programme; (f) the degree of programme production orientation; (g) the nature of local leadership associated with efficient programme implementation; and (h) the criteria adopted for selection of programme area and programme goals. The investigation is divided into two parts. The first part presents an historial overview and evaluation of two recent rural work programme schemes, namely, the Rural Works Programme (RWP) and the Crash Scheme for Rural Employment (CSRE). The second part presents a case study of the planning and administration of the two programmes. The case study, conducted in Gurdaspur District of the Punjab, investigates the RWP and CSRE contribution to the development of the district. The data for the second part of the study were obtained by interviewing selected respondents, such as state, district and block officials who were actively involved in planning and execution of the programmes, and from persons in the selected villages where the work was executed. State-level data were used wherever relevant data for appraisal of the schemes at the case-study level were not available. In addition, such secondary sources as evaluation reports and records of the Government were consulted for relevant data on the project implemented in other parts of the country. The conclusion presents a discussion of the lessons learned through the study of the Rural Works Programme and the Crash Scheme for Rural Employment, both at the macro-level and the micro-level. Suggestions for improving future rural works programmes are the focus of the discussion.