96

12. RURAL DEVELOPMENT IN WEST BENGAL

The success in rural development in West Bengal is one of some impeccable

instances of the new economic order of the state. This very new idea of rural

development is obviously different from the old one and a pointer to a certain future

potential for success. Work for this development is on in 18 rural districts of the state.

The mid-year population of West Bengal in 2003 was 8.30 crore. Rural population was

5.97 crore and urban population 2.33 crore. That is rural population was 71.9 per cent of

the total population and urban population 28.1 per cent. The total scheduled caste

population was 1.96 crore i.e., 23.61 per cent of the total population. Scheduled tribe

population was 0.46 crore, which was 5.54 per cent of the total population. Thus, SC and

ST population was 29.2 of the total population. The statistics proved that this multitude of

rural population was benefited with an increase in per capital income. Per head food-

calorie intake has also increased, accompanied by a considerable and undoubted rate of

success in formal education and literacy and a steady decrease in the rate of infant

mortality. Above all, democratization of the 3 tier panchayat system has contributed to

the administrative and political empowerment of the same. The number of people below

poverty line in the rural sector of West Bengal was 73.16 per cent in 1973-74, while in

1999-2000 it slumped down to 31.85 per cent. During 1980-81, in agriculture average

97

per capita income was 1612.13 which registered an increased to Rs.10636.71 in 2000-

2001. This certainly is an index of an overall progressive scenario.

One could not miss, even a couple of decades ago the grim sight of a serpentine

queue of men and women waiting patiently for a Government Relief or dole outside the

Block Development Officer office, or the decibels of a soulful cry for help of the farmers

affected either by a drought spell. Over a single crop yielding plot of land or by a

devastating flood, the procession of people, trudging, along covered with the powdery

dust all over on way to the distant market place. The sum-down invariably pronounced a

total desolation and desertion then.

Now a day the scenarios have been totally changed. Today buses, trucks, tow-

wheelers are plying along the arterial, night-roads, making transport easier and faster.

The farmer now is contemplating on the possibility of a fourth crop after two or three

harvests. A youth, who has successfully passed the Madhyamik, is learning Computers.

Women folk are out to form self help groups taking time off from their household

duties. This newness of life – of a generation – is but the ultimate truth in today’s rural

West Bengal. Much has been achieved, but much remains to be done.

This ideal existence has been achieved by the Left Front Government, which is

rich in experiences of mass-movements and struggles and is still attached with those.

The present study is an endeavour to measure the development status in the state

of West Bengal especially the rural Bengal. This development not only includes

economic development but other facets like social development also. The major sectors

considered are economic growth, health, education, poverty, rural employment etc. West

Bengal, being a state with the population of more than 8 crores, has varied dimensions of

development. Though economic development is the primary concern of any state, but the

reality is that the fruits of development are not enjoyed equally by the all citizens of a

state. Development is an exercise where according to Paul Streeten (1994) “We should

never lose sight of the ultimate purpose of the exercise, to treat man and women as ends,

to improve the human condition, to enlarge people’s choice……”.

Transformation of relations of production and power in rural West Bengal

through implementation of land reforms and reorganisation of panchayats unleashed the

productive forces and led to a remarkable performance by the State in terms of

98

agricultural growth. Until the 1970s, West Bengal’s record of agricultural growth had

been noted for agricultural stagnation – a condition that was called an "agrarian impasse".

Reports of several official committees as well as the Seventh Plan document noted the

under utilisation of productive potential in rural West Bengal. 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. In the post-1977 period, the foodgrain

production in West Bengal grew at 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 India. Cropping intensity in

West Bengal has increased from about 136 per cent in 1980-81 to about 180 per cent in

2000-01, second highest in the country. The NSSO data show that as much as 66 per cent

of the gross cropped area was irrigated in West Bengal by 1992. Scholarly studies have

reported that high agricultural growth was characteristic of most crops and was

widespread across districts1.

Reference : 1. Rural Development in West Bengal-Vikas Rawal.

12A. Economic growth in Rural Bengal

In the last two decades, the state has experienced relatively rapid economic

growth, compared with the rest of the country. This is an improvement from the first

three decades after independence, when the relative position of the state in income terms

was deteriorating. Thus, while SDP (State Domestic Product) growth in West Bengal was

below the national average over the 1960s and 1970s, it increased more rapidly than the

national average in the two subsequent decades. In the 1990s, West Bengal was one of

the fastest growing states in India, and actually showed the second highest rate of

aggregate SDP growth among major states, after Karnataka. Indeed, its aggregate rate of

growth was faster than that of Gujarat and Tamil Nadu, both of which are more

commonly described as dynamic states. Below the table shows the example :

99

Average Annual Growth in Net State Domestic Product(NSDP)

(at constant prices) (In per cent) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

State 1961-62 to 1971-72 to 1981-82 to 1991-92 to

1970-71 1980-81 1990-91 2000-01 Andhra Pradesh 3.11 3.46 6.58 5.52

Assam 2.63 3.70 4.14 2.84

Bihar 2.47 3.20 5.06 2.34

Gujarat 4.83 4.31 5.99 6.34

Haryana 10.29 4.82 6.84 4.71

Karnataka 4.36 3.38 5.09 7.51

Kerala 4.00 2.30 3.34 5.74

Madhya Pradesh 2.86 3.63 4.89 3.65

Maharashtra 2.95 4.51 6.12 5.74

Orissa 9.94 2.50 2.98 3.53

Punjab 5.67 4.64 5.40 4.61

Rajasthan 5.78 4.10 4.35 4.47 Tamil Nadu 2.59 2.10 5.71 6.25

Uttar Pradesh 2.79 3.39 5.03 3.38

West Bengal 2.24 3.23 4.24 6.75

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Source : Bereau of Applied Economics and Statistics, Govt. of West Bengal

Human Development Report-2004 has stated that the West Bengal is unique

among the states of India in having district-wise estimates of Domestic Product. These

are available from 1980-81 onwards; however, frequent changes of base and in

methodology mean that a continuous time series cannot be derived which would provide

some indication of district-wise growth of Domestic Product. However, assessments at

any one point in time are possible, and the table below provides information on the per

capita income in 2000-01 (at current prices) and the relative ranking of districts then as

well as twenty years earlier.

100

District per capita incomes -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Name of the In Rank in Per cent of Rank in Per cent of

Districts Rupees, 2000-01 highest in 1980-81 highest in

2000-01 2000-01 1980-81

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Darjeeling 18529.18 2 55.6 2 70.8

Jalpaiguri 16749.07 4 50.3 11 38

Koch Behar 13855.35 13 41.6 16 31.7

Uttar Dinajpur 11182.86 18 33.6 14 34.5

Dakhin Dinajpur 14579.15 12 43.8 14 34.5

Malda 14777.2 10 44.4 17 31.2

Murshidabad 13392.39 15 40.2 18 31.1

Birbhum 12791.72 17 38.4 8 46.1

Bardhaman 17537.98 3 52.7 4 67

Nadia 16211.46 6 48.7 12 35.2

North 24-pgs. 14768.32 11 44.3 6 56.7

Hooghly 16279.65 5 48.9 5 63 Bankura 15741.64 7 47.3 10 41.9

Purulia 13044.67 16 39.2 9 43.2

Medinapur 15526.01 9 46.6 13 34.6

Howrah 15591.44 8 46.8 3 70.3

Kolkata 33299.5 1 100 1 100

South 24-pgs. 13630.22 14 40.9 6 56.7

West Bengal 16072.26 48.3 51

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Source : Bureau of Applied Economics & Statistics, Govt. of West Bengal Note : For 1980-81, the data refer to the undivided districts of 24-pgs. and Dinajpur

It is clear that per capita income in Kolkata is substantially above that in all other

districts. Furthermore, this disparity has increased over time, despite the pattern of

growth which has emphasized agricultural output expansion by small cultivators and

rural industrialization. Of course, this does not mean that per capita income in other

districts has come down; on the contrary, it has increased, as per capita income in West

Bengal as a whole has increased by nearly 4 per cent over this period.

The economic development of rural West Bengal can also be seen in several other

indicators on which West Bengal has scored a distinction. West Bengal had the highest

growth of per capita net state domestic product in the 1990s among all States in the

country. Between 1977-78 and 1997, the proportion of people below poverty line

declined in rural West Bengal by 36 percentage points; the decline in poverty in rural

West Bengal was more than in any other State. 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.1

101

Reference : 1. Rural Development In West Bengal-Vikas Rawal.

12B. Rural Poverty Alleviation Programmes

Poverty is a complete phenomenon with multiple dimensions that cannot be

comprehended by the use of a single homogeneous criterion applicable to all strata of the

society and regions of a state or a country at all times. The inherent pluralism of the

concept of poverty has given rise to the alternative forms of conceptualization and

measurement of the deprivations which have not only income, but also social, cultural,

political and even physiological dimensions. Poverty prevents human beings from

enjoying a decent living. They also are denied from getting the light of education and the

benefits of health services and are debarred from dreaming for the future with aspirations

and hopes. Thus, poverty has both intrinsic and functional significance. For this reason

preparation of the list of below poverty line families and targeting development

programmes towards them are getting maximum priorities in the planning agenda. The

recent estimates for poverty as calculated by the Planning Commission, India, on the

basis of the NSSO 55th

round survey data on consumer expenditure publishes state

specific poverty line – in case of West Bengal it is Rs.350.17 for the rural and Rs.409.22

for the urban areas. The overall state specific poverty line for West Bengal is calculated

through assigning weights to rural and urban poverty line equivalent to their respective

share in total population of the state – it is Rs.376.70 per capita per month.

The land reform based development strategy has ensured that benefits from rising

production and income in the rural areas of the state do not bypass the poorer sections of

the society. Consequently, abject poverty in the rural areas of the state has largely been

eliminated. West Bengal was one of the poorest states in India with over 60 per cent of its

rural population below the poverty line as late as the mid seventies.

The State Government has ensured that ceiling surplus vested land distributed to

the poorer section of the society. After proper implementation of the Land Reform

Programme in West Bengal, the poverty line especially, in rural areas has declined

rapidly. The table below shown the percentage of rural population below the poverty line

in major state of India :

102

Impact of Land Reform on Poverty in rural Bengal (in percent)

Source : Planning Commission of India, Govt. of India

Percentage of rural Population below the poverty line in major states of India

States 1973-74 1977-78 1983 1987-88 1993-94 1999-2000

Andhra Pradesh 48.41 38.11 26.53 20.92 15.92 11.05

Assam 52.67 59.82 42.60 39.35 45.01 40.04

Bihar 62.99 63.25 64.37 52.63 58.21 44.33

Gujarat 46.35 41.76 29.80 28.67 22.18 13.17

Haryana 34.23 27.73 20.56 16.22 28.02 8.27

Karnataka 55.14 48.18 36.33 32.33 29.88 17.38

Kerala 59.19 51.48 39.03 29.10 25.76 9.38

Madhya Pradesh 62.66 62.52 48.90 41.92 40.64 37.06

Maharashtra 57.71 63.97 45.23 40.78 37.93 23.72

Orissa 67.28 72.38 67.53 57.64 49.72 48.01

Punjab 28.21 16.37 13.20 12.60 11.95 6.35

Rajasthan 44.76 35.89 33.50 33.21 26.46 13.74

Tamil Nadu 57.43 57.68 53.99 45.80 32.48 20.55

Uttar Pradesh 56.53 47.60 46.45 41.10 42.28 31.22

West Bengal 73.16 68.34 63.05 48.30 40.80 31.85

All-India 56.44 53.07 45.65 39.09 37.27 27.09

Source : Bureau of Applied Economics & Statistics, Govt. of West Bengal

Programmes : For alleviating rural poverty, number of Central-State sponsored rural

development programmes was launched since the days of the Sixth Plan and are

continuing till date with some rearrangements.

The Swarnajayanti Gram Swarojar Yojana (SGSY) seeks to bring 30 per cent of

the poor families in each block above the poverty line by involving them in income

generating schemes by the provision of bank credit and Government subsidy. SGSY

seeks primarily to pomote Seft-Helf Groups (SHGs) and involing them in income

generating activities. Individual beneficiaries are also covered under SGSY, though the

subsidy for individuals is much less than that for groups. Under SGSY, the beneficiaries

0

50

100

72-73

87-88

93-94

99-0072-73 73.16 56.44

87-88 48.8 39.4

93-94 41.2 37.1

99-00 31.7 26.8

West

BengalIndia

103

are known as swarojaries. The cost of SGSY is shared by the Centre and the State in the

ratio of 75:25

The Central Government has introduced the Pradhan Mantri Gramodya Yojana

(Gramin Awas) (PMGY-GA) in 2000 for providing house facilities to below the poverty

line families.

There are also so many poverty alleviation programmes are going on successfully

to eradicate the rural poverty in West Bengal.

12C. Rural Employment

According to 2001 census, the rural population of West Bengal was 5.10 crore

and the number of people below poverty line in the rural sector was 31.85 per cent.

There were 129.64 lakh agricultural workers in rural Bengal. Taking average household

size of 5.21 as per the 2001 census, the numbers of agricultural workers’ households

come to 24.88 lakh. Each year direct employment from cultivation of crops ranges from

1500 to nearly 1600 million mandays1. The table below shows the estimated mandays of

employment generated directly through cultivation of crops in 2001-02 and 2002-03.

104

Estimated mandays of Employment Generated in West Bengal through Direct

Cultivation of Crops (In Million Mandays)

Crops 2001-02 2002-03 (Provisional)

Aus 58.37 55.82

Aman 589.62 567.15

Boro 349.2 337.46

Wheat 75.95 70.94

Pulses 18.93 18.37

Oilseeds 60.42 56.84

Sugarcane 15.14 12.65

Mesta 2.66 2.05

Jute 162.95 159.02

Potato 85.15 99.2

Fruits 14.73 15.59

Vegetables 95.72 96.43

Others 54.86 52.89

Total 1583.7 1544.41

Source : Department of Agriculture, Government of West Bengal

The Sampoorna Grammen Rojgar Yojana (SGRY) is an employment generation

scheme formed by merging two former employment generation schemes. The cost

component of SGRY is shared in the ratio of 75:25 by the Centre and the State.

Foodgrains are provided free of cost by the Centre.

Further, every year employment for about 60 thousand to one lakh persons is

generated through various self-employment programmes. In 2003-04, employment for 61

thousand persons has been generated up to September, 2003, through these self-

employment programmes which stated table below2.

Employment Generation Under Credit Linked Self Employment/Poverty Alleviation Programmes in

West Bengal (2003-04, up to September, 2003)

(In numbers) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Programme Employment generated (based on disbursement)

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SGSY 7647+483 (SHG)

SCP 36853

TSP 13276 SESRU 40

SJSRY 450

SEEP 110

PMRY 856

BSKP 1800

Total 61032 (excluding SHGs)

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Source : Dept. of Finance, Govt. of West Bengal

105

A steady rise in the scope of employment in agriculture on one hand and

enhancement of wages on the other have consistently built up a favourable influence in

improving the standard of a peasants life. Increasing the scope for employment in

agriculture desperately needed stepping up of the faculty to accept and assimilate the

technological advancement and above all, a good will to employ the same in agriculture.

Political decisions of the Left Front Government and these institutional changes lent a

momentum to the development of agriculture. During 1980-81, in agriculture per capita

income was Rs.1612.13. During 1997-98, per capita income increased to 10636.473.

References:

1. Economic Review 2003-04, Govt. of West Bengal

2. Ibid.

3. Ibid.

12D. Agricultural Labourers

In West Bengal a large number of agricultural labourers engaged in agrarian

sectors. In the agricultural sector, West Bengal had 56.13 lakh cultivators and 73.51 lakh

agricultural workers according to the last census report, 2001. That is there were 129.64

lakh agricultural workers in rural West Bengal. Without their participation in the agrarian

and its allied fields, it is impossible to increase the production of agriculture in West

Bengal.

As a consequence of different institutional reform measures introduced by West

Bengal Government since early 1980s like recording of share croppers, distribution of

surplus land among the landless and the introduction of three tier panchayat system, it

becomes possible to cause rise in agricultural wage rate of male agricultural labourers.

106

No data is available in respect of female agricultural labourers. For this reason male-

female disparity, if any, cannot be reflected in this study. Increasing trend of wage rate

for agricultural labourers indicates relative improvement of this sector in the overall

growth process of the agrarian economy in the State.

Agricultural wages have gone up substantially in the period the Left Front

government has been in power. In the 1980s, the growth of agricultural wages in West

Bengal was highest among all States of India. This has been a direct result of the struggle

for implementation of minimum wages. The high agricultural growth in the post-1977

period also led to an increase in employment of rural workers. Rise in wages and

expansion of employment have substantially improved the economic conditions of

agricultural workers in West Bengal1.

The progressive increase in the wage rate of the male agricultural field labourers

is attributed to better implementation of various self and wage employment programmes

implemented under the initiative of Central and State governments. The observation of

Economic Review 2001-2002 is quoted here to corroborate this hypothesis :

“Significant employment is generated in the rural areas through the implementation of

schemes like SGSY, JGSY, EAS, IAY and under different schemes implemented by the

Panchayats and Government departments. At present the situation is such that the

agriculturally developed districts in the State face shortage of labour during busy season

– a situation that could hardly be envisaged a decade back. As a result agriculture wage

rate has been steadily rising.”

Before the Left Front Government, there were no such laws for the protection of

wages of agricultural labourers in West Bengal. Only the then United Front Government

in 1967 and 1969 and the ‘Kisan Sabha’ of the Peasant’s Organization of the Communist

Party had fought for the increase of wages of agricultural labourers. When the Left Front

Government came to power in West Bengal in 1977, only then the Government had

introduced the laws for the benefit of agricultural labourers and amended the Land

Reform Act. From the year of 1980-81 to 2002-2003 the average daily wage rate of

agricultural labourers has been increased tremendously.2

107

District wise Average Wage Rate for male Agricultural Field Labourers in West Bengal (Daily wages in Rs.)

Districts

1

1980-

1981

2

1990-

1991

3

1995-

1996

4

1998-

1999

5

1999-

2000

6

2000-

2001

7

2001-

2002

8

2002-

2003

9

WEST BENGAL 7.26 21.50 31.47 49.96 54.86 55.97 56.93 57.92

Burdwan 7.66 24.15 38.14 51.79 57.44 59.21 60.27 60.89

Birbhum 6.96 20.25 25.66 44.96 50.46 51.79 53.22 53.66

Bankura 7.29 23.50 30.32 48.50 53.96 55.02 55.52 55.79

Midnapore (E)

Midnapore (W)

7.59

25.40

20.00

34.94

26.90

51.60

47.27

59.94

52.59

60.87

54.10

61.33

55.68

62.08

56.33

Howrah 7.92 22.65 34.89 54.80 59.21 61.35 62.47 63.35

Hoogly 8.13 24.55 - 50.99 58.77 60.17 61.47 63.60

24-Parganas (N)

24-Parganas (S)

-

7.63

21.15

27.10

32.92

42.65

79.99

59.93

55.92

64.17

57.52

64.98

59.04

65.62

60.41

66.70

Nadia 5.25 21.85 31.04 48.71 54.25 56.00 56.97 58.25

Murshidabad 7.75 20.20 29.25 48.06 53.21 54.46 55.89 57.22

Uttar Dinajpur

Dakshin dinajpur

5.05

17.40

26.44

47.09

49.36

51.60

50.37

52.43

50.83

53.58

51.66

Malda 4.79 20.00 27.78 46.01 49.96 52.02 53.27 54.29

Jalpaiguri 7.04 - - 51.69 55.09 56.56 57.20 57.75

Darjeeling 7.68 - 39.59 62.75 63.17 63.67 64.14 65.02

Cooch Behar 6.27 17.10 28.12 46.16 49.48 50.23 50.70 51.68

Purulia 5.26 17.35 23.37 39.08 45.52 47.48 48.75 50.37

Source : Directorate of Agriculture, Evaluation Wing, Govt. of West Bengal

In the off-season of cultivation when there is no work, the agricultural labourers

go through some self employment rural training which has introduced by the panchayats

in West Bengal when the Left Front Govt. came in to the power in 1977. As a result there

is no acute hunger features in rural West Bengal.

The State Government also provides homestead land to agricultural labourers,

fishermen and artisans under West Bengal Acquisition of Homestead Land for

Agricultural Labourers, fishermen and Artisans Act, 1975. Till the end of January, 2003,

3.08 lakh families have been provided homestead land under the Act. Homestead land is

also distributed under section 49 of the West Bengal Land Reforms Act, 1955. Under this

Act, 2.39 lakh families were provided homestead land. Therefore, a total of 5.47 lakh

families have been provided homestead land.3

References:

1. Rural Development in West Bengal-Vikas Rawal.

2. Bureau of Applied Economics & Statistics 2002-03, Govt. of West Bengal.

3. Economic Review, Govt. of West Bengal-2003-04.

108

12E. Rural Health

The Departments of Rural Development, Health and Family Welfare and

Panchayat have simultaneously played significant roles to built up an effective rural

health-care system. A system of active participation of these departments in the process

from the district level down to the rural health centres has been ensured. The health-

worker reaches the doorstep of every person with preventive drugs and the message of

health-awareness. It has directly effected on the fall of infant mortality rate and increase

of average span of life. The success of family planning programme was remarkable

achieved. Simultaneously sanitary latrines, tubewells, bio-gas plant, smokeless ovens etc.

were set up with the help of centrally assisted programmes.

The rapid development of the rural economy as indicated by rising agricultural

production spread of rural literacy, empowerment of the poor through the panchayats and

above all the abolition of the feudal mores through effective implementation of land

reform measures, have made the poor receptive to new social ideas, specially in the realm

of their own and their families welfare. These factors among others to be touched upon

later have been instrumental in the declining vital rates, especially in the rural areas of the

state. The significant fact is that not only has the vital (birth and death) rate declined in

the rural areas, the vital rates for female in West Bengal has also progressively declined,

so that at present they are one of the lowest among the major states. The table below is

shown the infant mortality rate by sex for rural and urban regions of the major states in

2001.

109

Infant Mortality Rate by Sex and Residence in Major States, 2001 (Per thousand)

India/State Total Rural Urban

Total

Male Female Total Male Female Total Male Female

India 66 64 68 72 70 74 42 41 44

State

Andhra Pradesh 66 65 6 74 74 75 40 37 42

Assam 74 69 80 77 72 83 34 28 42

Bihar 62 57 68 63 57 69 52 49 57

Gujarat 60 61 60 68 69 66 42 41 42

Haryana 66 63 70 68 64 73 55 57 53

Karnataka 58 59 58 69 72 66 26 20 33

Kerala 11 14 9 12 15 9 9 11 6

Madhya Pradesh 86 83 89 92 88 95 53 55 51

Maharashtra 45 43 48 55 52 59 28 28 27

Orissa 91 90 93 95 94 95 61 52 71

Punjab 52 43 63 56 47 67 38 29 49

Rajasthan 80 78 82 84 81 87 57 59 55

Tamil Nadu 49 45 54 55 50 61 35 33 38

Uttar Pradesh 83 82 84 86 85 87 62 64 61

West Bengal 51 53 49 54 57 52 38 37 38

Source : Health on the March, 2002-03, Govt. of West Bengal.

Rural West Bengal had the second lowest infant mortality rate after rural Kerala

among the major states in India. This was because female infant mortality rate in rural

West Bengal was second lowest after Kerala and was significantly lower than those in the

rural areas of the other states. In fact, West Bengal’s female infant mortality rate in the

rural areas was lower than that of Punjab. West Bengal, Kerala, Gujarat and Karnataka

were the only states where infant mortality rates were lower for females than males in the

rural areas.

It was seen in the previous Economic Review (2002-03) that in West Bengal

estimated death rates for children in the age group 0-4 years was second lowest after that

of Kerala for females in rural areas. All these figures indicate that the general health of

the population especially that of rural population has improved over the years. This is

particularly significant for the rural female population and the female child. This, as was

noted earlier, is not merely because of the rising living standard but also related to the

improving social status of women in rural West Bengal1.

Reference: 1. Economic Review, 2003-04, Govt. of West Bengal.

110

12F. Rural Education Scenarios

In the words of the Education Commission (1991) set up by the Govt. of West

Bengal, “The most wide ranging changes since 1977 in the educational landscape in the

state have been in the sphere of primary education”. While establishing new primary

schools in the state, attention is equally being given on areas with the predominance of

marginalized section of the community. From the statement below growth of primary

schools can be visualized.

Number of primary schools in West Bengal

Year Number

1973 39132

1978 42659

1986 48456

1992-1993 51021

1996-1997 51021

1997-1998 51021

1998-1999 52123

Source : Directorate of School Education, Govt. of West Bengal

Therefore, over a period of twenty seven years around 33 percent increase in the

number of primary schools was registered. As regards the enrolment of students in the

primary education it is every expanding. Year wise figure for enrolment corroborates this

assertion.

Enrolment of students in Primary Schools

1973 1978 1986 1992-93 1996-97 1997-98 1998-99

54,61,939 57,77,591 68,83,911 101,17,000 90,06,000 88,07,732 89,48,677

Source : Economic Review of Govt. of West Bengal

The literacy rate in West Bengal has always been higher than the all-India

average, and West Bengal ranks sixth among the major states in this regard. But until the

last decade, the improvement in literacy has been relatively slow in the state, especially

for women. However, in the past decade, the state government has been making

111

concentrated efforts through various special schemes such as ‘total literacy campaigns’,

‘non-formal education’, etc. apart from formal schooling for children to achieve the goal

of ‘education for all’ as soon as possible. As a result, according to the Census, the

literacy rate in West Bengal has increased from 48.6 per cent in 1981 to 57.7 per cent in

1991 and to 69.2 per cent in 20011.

The progress of Land reform, the rural development with the help of panchayats,

decentralization of administrative reforms etc. have been done successfully in this state

during the last 30 years which has already been discussed in the previous chapter. Along

with these the expansion of various educational programmes has also been implemented

with vigour. The State has been honoured with ‘International Nona Award’ for its

literacy movement.

The Government which had been in power for 30 years in West Bengal after

independence followed almost the same policies of the British ruler who had made

education free only for the students of rural primary schools. But during the Left Front

Regime, the Govt. made educations free not only for the students of rural primary schools

but for all the students up to higher secondary in all the Government and Government

aided schools of West Bengal.

The Government has also arranged for distributing books free of cost and ‘mid

day meal’ to all the students up to class V. These policies help all those needy students

especially of the rural areas who did not have the capacity to buy books and were forced

to drop out.

In the higher education also the Government policies have helped the rural

students immensely. The Government has set up 142 colleges in the rural areas which

helped the students especially the female students who faced various problems in

continuing their higher education.

The progress of literacy rate in rural Bengal during the left front regime has given below :

Table-1

Literacy Rate in rural Bengal in 1951

(in percent)

Total Literacy Rate 18.77

Male 28.91

Female 7.55

Source : Directorate of Education, Govt. of West Bengal

112

Table-2

Literacy Rate in rural Bengal in 1981

(in percent)

After 30 years

Total Literacy Rate 37.90 19.13

Male 49.71 20.80

Female 25.34 17.79

Source : Directorate of Education, Govt. of West Bengal

Table-3

Literacy Rate in rural Bengal in 2001

(in percent)

After 20 Years

Total Literacy Rate 68.06 26.16

Male 73.75 24.04

Female 53.82 28.48

Source : Directorate of Education, Govt. of West Bengal

Under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), introduced in 2001-02, 811 new school

buildings, 2051 additional classrooms, 649 drinking water and toilet facilities have been

constructed till 2002-03. In 2003-04, 359 new school buildings, 13035 additional

classrooms and 2454 drinking and toilet facilities have been approved. Work on 461 new

school buildings, 2466 additional classrooms, 312 drinking and toilet facilities is going

on2.

As per SSA programme, nearly 2.50 lakh teachers are provided Teacher’s

Learning Material Grant at the rate of Rs.500 per year, each of the 62000 primary and

upper primary schools are being provided with school grant of Rs.2000 per year, 5000

primary schools are being provided maintenance grant at the rate of Rs.5000 year. In

addition, 350 Circle Resource Centres (CRC) have been constructed3.

As a result, the school children especially the rural areas have been benefited by

these schemes.

Ref erences:

1. Human Development Report of West Bengal-2004.

2. Economic Review, 2003-04, Govt. of West Bengal.

3. Ibid.

113

12G. Rural Market in West Bengal

The income of the rural people of West Bengal have been increased much more

than early 70s due to an land reform, reform of panchayats, etc. during the last 30 years.

This annual turn over in rural Bengal market Rs.18,000 crores and it is increasing year

after year. The purchasing capacity of the marginal, poor peasants and bargadars who

were allotted land under the Land Reform Programmes has increased appreciably. As a

result the rural market is expanding. The State Government is also helping in building the

infrastructure of rural markets especially the agricultural markets.

The State Govt. has taken steps to improve the existing marketing infrastructure

in the state. It has constructed or facilitated the provision of infrastructural facilities like

concrete sheds and yards, market link roads, drinking water and toilets, etc. in the 24

Principal Market Yards and 551 sub-market yards including cold storages under the 44

operating Regulated Market Committees in the state. Around 44 link roads with total

length of 37.05 km. have been constructed with the funds of the Regulated Market

Committees. In addition, another 120 market yards have been provided sheds, culverts,

tube wells, sewage systems, etc.1.

Reference : 1. Economic Review-2003-04.