About this Book

In the course of about a generation of experience of planningin India, development strategies pursued at the National or State level have neither achieved growth with equity nor effectively succeded in tackling the problems of poverty and unemployment. In 1975, the State Planning Board of West Bengal adopted the strategy of 'Comprehensive Area Development' which was regarded as something of a 'break-through'. In the present book, Dr. Asok Kumar Maiti, who has long association with Rural Bengal and various social organisations and Development and Training Institues presents his field investigation carried out in early 1980 after the adoption of Comprehensive Area Development Strategy. The impact of measure adopted under teh scheme has been subjected to empirical tests with micro-level data. The major findings of the study underscore the growth of productive forces and changes in the relations of production with in the village community and also point out both the strength and weakness of the development Agency in the Area.