G V Ramakrishna: A new paradigm for rural uplift projects

New Delhi : In the past the implementation of rural development projects has been beset with a number of problems. Projects are not always selected in consultation with the actual beneficiaries; there is leakage in fund utilisation; transparency in the award of contracts and their implementation is lacking; and only a small fraction of the funds allotted goes towards actual creation of benefits for the target persons.

he range of projects for rural development encompasses roads, irrigation water supply, agricultural marketing, agricultural credit and drinking water supply rural housing. Two key problems in rural areas are unemployment and lack of infrastructure. Roads are an important part of infrastructure. It is reported that the World Bank is likely to provide resources for rural roads which will provide employment, add to the infrastructure in rural areas and integrate them better with markets.