National Rural Infrastructure Development Agency

G20 India 2023 National Flag Beti Bachao Beti Padhao

Research Areas

Background and motivation

Historical Background

Since ancient times Indian society consisted of self-sufficient villages. In those days the villagers did not have to leave the vicinity of their village for their daily needs or even for seeking justice from Courts. Each village produced its own food, clothing, had all the necessary tradesmen right in the village itself. The administration and the justice were looked after by the Village Panchayats. Over the centuries, India prior to its Independence was ruled by a number of Princes independently and/or under a central authority of an Emperor. These Rulers were mainly concerned with land revenue collection from rural population and exercising their authority over them for law and order rather than caring for rural upliftment through development. Hence the road development was never planned systematically at all India level. Even after Independence the development of roads except National Highways became the responsibility of the State Governments concerned and as such it formed part of the State Plans.

Owing to funds constraints the allocations for road development remained meagre compared to requirement and especially in case of village roads. Road Development has not received due importance and its logical share from the planners at all levels in comparison to some other specific development activities, which were given higher priority. In fact, the overal

allocation to the road sector at National level kept on going down from the first five-year plan to the subsequent five-year plans.

Construction of village roads was included under the Minimum Need Programme (MNP) for the first time in the Fifth Five Year Plan (1974-79). The MNP envisaged connection of villages with a population of 1500 and above with all weather roads. In hilly, tribal and coastal areas connection of a cluster of villages of similar population was envisaged. In subsequent plans after the larger villages were connected to a large extent, the focus was shifted to villages with population between 1000 to 1500 also. Outlays, though of not adequate size, were being made for this programme in each five-year plan and annual plans. The actual expenditure was more or less equal to the outlay in the Sixth Plan but fell short in the fifth, seventh and subsequent plans.

In latter years rural roads were also being constructed under several other schemes like the NREP, the RLEGP, JRY, IJRY, BMS, EAS and similar other schemes. Notable work has also been done under the RIDF scheme by the NABARD in recent years. Rural road development projects were also executed in some states with World Bank assistance. In some states, Market Committees, Sugar Cane Societies have carried out rural road construction. No doubt, sizeable road length was

constructed under all these schemes. However, all this laudable effort was not enough to achieve full connectivity of villages even after fifty years of Independence. Moreover, the specifications adopted for these roads were probably good enough or the traditional rural traffic consisting mainly of animal drawn carts and pedestrians, However, with the advent of fast and heavy pneumatic tyred vehicles coupled with absence of adequate maintenance caused fast deterioration of these roads, some times to a stage were the roads become unpassable.

Effects of the deprivation

A nation’s socio-economic cultural growth rate is mainly dependent on its speedy, safe, economic, comfortable and efficient transport system and in particular road transport system which facilities door service. India has about 5.89 lakh villages of various population sizes, inhabitated by about 75 percent of its populations, scattered all over its 3.29 million square kilometer area. But, absence of a well knit road network has caused lack of basic facilities such as education, medical assistance, banking, recreational, employment potentiality, inward transport of agriculture inputs and consumer goods, outward transportation of agriculture and forestry products, live stocks and their products in and/or around most of the villages,

thereby dragging a large section of country’s rural population including tribal below the property line and keeping them away from the main stream of national development.

As a sequel it has resulted in large scale exodus of rural population to towns, cities etc., with consequential socio-stresses and law and order problems in the urban areas. In order to obviate this situation the Government of India has embarked on several programmes like Integrated Rural Development Programme (IRDP). However, for achieving their objectives, village roads are a must, because they are the only economical transport means to the villages situated in far away remote areas and difficult terrains.

Due to lack of rural road connectivity lakhs of Indian villages and crores of villagers are suffering tragic isolation and prolonged deprivation. Lack of accessibility deprives them of the chance of sustainability and development. Some of the eloquent symptoms of such deprivation are enlisted below which are merely illustrative and by no means exhaustive.

  • Daily 300 pregnant women die, as they cannot reach the healthcare centers in time from their villages.
  • Lakhs of rural children cannot reach the schools during rainy reason.
  • Perishable agricultural produce cannot reach the markets in time leading to heavy losses to the farmers.
  • A large number of cattle die in veterinary epidemics especially during rainy season because timely help cannot reach them.
  • Water tankers cannot reach several thousand drought prone villages leading to migration of rural population in total despair.
  • The public distribution system fails to penetrate to thousands of villages leading to malnutrition and infant mortality.
  • Poor connectivity has a high correlation with high levels of illiteracy. Unemployment and poverty.
  • Low levels of accessibility have deprived large number of villages from the equality of opportunity as compared to the urban population.

Till about two years ago hundreds of children were dying of malnutrition every year in the tribal area of Melghat in Maharashtra on the border of Madhya Pradesh. The major reason for this tragedy was the lack of accessibility to these tribal villages, preventing the delivery of food supplies and health care services in the vital rainy season.

All this has created an urban-rural divide with the resultant tensions between the urban and rural populace.

It must, however, be appreciated that the scenario is not equally bleak all over the country. While in some states, the level of connectivity is quite low, in some other states it is much better than average. Even in the same state, there are wide vaiations from district to district.

Why special attention

India is a country with predominantly agrarian economy. About 75 per cent of its population lives in 5.89 lakh villages. A reliable system of roads serving the rural areas is a basic requirement for:

  • Socio-economic transformation.
  • Breaking the isolation of village communities.
  • Elimination of the disparity between rural and urban population and bringing about urban – rural integration.
  • National integration.

Visible Benefits

The level of accessibility determines the extent of development and quality of life. Several studies have been carried out to determine the impact of connectivity on the life in the rural areas. The nine districts study carried out by the Government of

Maharashtra through a consultant are two such important studies. Such studies have clearly brought out these benefits. They can be summarized as below:

Easy and assured access during all seasons to :

  • Regular and Seasonal Markets
  • Agro-industries
  • Schools
  • Water Reservoirs/Resources
  • Ration Shops/Public Distribution System Outlets
  • Primary Health Centres/Clinics/Hospital
  • Veterinary Hospitals
  • Nearest Main Roads
  • Nearest Villages/Village clusters
  • Nearest Bus Stops/railway Stations/Ports
  • District/Tahsil/Block Development Head Quarters
  • Post Offices, Telephone Booths
  • Banks and Other Social Utilities
  • Polling booths
  • Rural development schemes
  • Job opportunities
  • Recreation/Cultural/Pilgrimage centers

Increase in availability of transport services for men and material

  • Increase in availability of quality inputs to agriculture
  • Increase in Agricultural/Horticultural/Forest produce and increase in its diversity
  • Improved equity in land holdings
  • Increase in the population and productivity of livestock
  • Increase in production and sales in Animal Products
  • Increase in marketable surplus of the villages
  • Increase in trade
  • Increase in sale of marketable surplus
  • Greater viability of agro-based and cottage industries
  • Increase in production and sales of Handicraft goods
  • Increase in percentage of non-agricultural workers
  • Enhanced levels of Literacy, Education and Health care
  • Greater Employment generation
  • Increase in household income, per capita income and productivity

Construction of village roads is highly labour intensive, generating grainful employment to millions of unemployed and/or underemployed rural population in addition to opening further avenues for direct and indirect

employment of rural population in various other vocations created due to developmental activities in other spheres.

It will be relevant to mention that the large-scale deaths of children in Melghat mentioned above have reduced dramatically due to the completion of a crash programme of construction of approach roads to the 91 villages in that area which previously had no approach roads. The appreciation expressed by H.E., the Governor of Maharashtra in a letter to the Chief Minister of Maharashtra is enclosed in Annexure-6.

The Committee,therefore, feels encouraged to recommend that the Government should take up on priority the task of providing good all weather roads to each and every village in the country in a time bound programme. In view of the difficulty of subsequent maintenance of such roads, the specification of the roads should be such as to require little or no maintenance for ten years after construction. As expressed by Shri Sundarlalji Patwa, Hon’ble Minister for Rural Development in the first meeting of the Committee, basically this programme should be a road construction programme though large scale direct and indirect employment will be created as its fall out.

Vriksha Rojgar Yojana

Vriksha Rojgar Yojana would be formulated to plant the trees on both sides of the road. For this, local youth would be engaged and they will be provided proper tools and small cycle / rickshaw mounted water tankers. One youth would be given the responsibility of 4 km of road length. In every kilometer of road, 500 trees would be planted on each side. After 1 year, the tree density will be reduced and only 250 trees will be maintained on each side of the road. The type of trees to be planted would be decided by local conditions. The final cutting of trees would be done only after their full growth. The revenue generated by felling of trees will be distributed equally between the local Gram Panchayat and the youth who has been given the responsibility of that particular stretch. A brief outline of the scheme is given below:

  • The item for plantation of trees by the roadside will be a part of the estimate and contract for road work.
  • The trees will be panted along the edge of the road land, away from the carriageway. Low cost tree guards will be installed to protect the trees.
  • Advice of officers of Forest Department / Social Forestry Department will be taken. Young plants / saplings should be made
  • available by the Forest Department from their nurseries free of cost. Preferably, 3 year old plants will be planted.
  • As far as possible fruit bearing / income yielding varieties of trees will be chosen.
  • The work of looking after the trees ensuring their survival by watering, protection, thinning etc. will be entrusted to en-employed young people in the village by the Village Panchayat. For this purpose the road stretches will be divided in manageable lengths for one person. The trees which are cut in the thinning operation will be given free to that person.
  • The necessary tools and one cycle rickshaw with a barel of say 200 litre capacity of water will be supplied to the person to whom the work of maintenance of trees is allotted.
  • The person who is entrusted with the work will be paid some fixed allowance per month from the grants made available by the Forest department.
  • The income from the trees will be shared in some agreed proportion between the person maintaining the trees and the Panchayat Samiti / Zilla Parishad.
Back to top