kuldeepsingh
August 6th, 2005, 01:39 PM
Dear All
I know many of us have strong views against communists but I went through this aspect and thought to share with you .
Rural Economic Development in west Bengal
Rural West Bengal was known for agricultural stagnation until the
1970s. Reports of several official committees as well as the Seventh Plan
document noted the underutilisation of productive potential in rural West
Bengal. Left Front's coming to power in the State was like a new dawn for
rural West Bengal. The post-1977 period has seen a remarkable growth of
rural economy. The change in the correlation of class forces in the favour
of working people through implementation of land reforms and
reorganisation of panchayats helped the State not only in overcoming the
agrarian impasse but in achieving growth rates of agricultural production
as were unmatched by any other State in the country. Some of the
important achievements of development of agriculture and allied sectors
during the period of Left Front government are as follows:
· In the post-1977 period, the foodgrain production in West Bengal grewat the rate of 6 per cent per annum, which was highest among
seventeen most populous States of India.
· West Bengal has emerged as the largest producer of rice and second largest producer of potato in the country.
· Cropping intensity in West Bengal has increased from about 136 percent in 1980-81 to about 180 per cent in 2000-01, second highest in
the country.
· Scholarly studies have reported that high agricultural growth was
characteristic of most crops and was widespread across districts.
· Economic conditions of agricultural workers have improved
considerably as a result of land reforms and rise in wages. In the 1980s,
the growth of agricultural wages in West Bengal was highest among all
States of India. Agricultural growth in the post-1977 period also led to
expansion of employment in agriculture.
· West Bengal has also improved production in other sectors of rural
economy. It has the largest production of fish and fish seedlings among
all India States.
. The development of agriculture and allied sectors has brought
significant changes in the material conditions of life of people of West
Bengal.
· West Bengal had the highest growth of per capita net state domestic
product among all States in the country in the 1990s.
· The decline in rural poverty between 1977-78 and 1997 was highest in West Bengal among all States of India. In this period, the proportion of
people below poverty line declined in rural West Bengal by 36 percentage points.
· Data show that the per capita calorie intake in rural West Bengal
increased by 184 kilocalories between 1987-88 and 1993-94. In the
same period, the per capita calorie intake in rural India as a whole
declined by 38 kilocalories.
· West Bengal was the only State in the country where monthly per
capita cereal consumption increased between 1972-73 and 1993-94. In
all other States the consumption of cereals fell in absolute terms.
Kuldeep Singh
I know many of us have strong views against communists but I went through this aspect and thought to share with you .
Rural Economic Development in west Bengal
Rural West Bengal was known for agricultural stagnation until the
1970s. Reports of several official committees as well as the Seventh Plan
document noted the underutilisation of productive potential in rural West
Bengal. Left Front's coming to power in the State was like a new dawn for
rural West Bengal. The post-1977 period has seen a remarkable growth of
rural economy. The change in the correlation of class forces in the favour
of working people through implementation of land reforms and
reorganisation of panchayats helped the State not only in overcoming the
agrarian impasse but in achieving growth rates of agricultural production
as were unmatched by any other State in the country. Some of the
important achievements of development of agriculture and allied sectors
during the period of Left Front government are as follows:
· In the post-1977 period, the foodgrain production in West Bengal grewat the rate of 6 per cent per annum, which was highest among
seventeen most populous States of India.
· West Bengal has emerged as the largest producer of rice and second largest producer of potato in the country.
· Cropping intensity in West Bengal has increased from about 136 percent in 1980-81 to about 180 per cent in 2000-01, second highest in
the country.
· Scholarly studies have reported that high agricultural growth was
characteristic of most crops and was widespread across districts.
· Economic conditions of agricultural workers have improved
considerably as a result of land reforms and rise in wages. In the 1980s,
the growth of agricultural wages in West Bengal was highest among all
States of India. Agricultural growth in the post-1977 period also led to
expansion of employment in agriculture.
· West Bengal has also improved production in other sectors of rural
economy. It has the largest production of fish and fish seedlings among
all India States.
. The development of agriculture and allied sectors has brought
significant changes in the material conditions of life of people of West
Bengal.
· West Bengal had the highest growth of per capita net state domestic
product among all States in the country in the 1990s.
· The decline in rural poverty between 1977-78 and 1997 was highest in West Bengal among all States of India. In this period, the proportion of
people below poverty line declined in rural West Bengal by 36 percentage points.
· Data show that the per capita calorie intake in rural West Bengal
increased by 184 kilocalories between 1987-88 and 1993-94. In the
same period, the per capita calorie intake in rural India as a whole
declined by 38 kilocalories.
· West Bengal was the only State in the country where monthly per
capita cereal consumption increased between 1972-73 and 1993-94. In
all other States the consumption of cereals fell in absolute terms.
Kuldeep Singh