People’s Participation in Rural Development Activities: A Study

Abstract

India has mass poverty, low levels of income and concertation of income in a few hands, low level of productivity and backward technology, high levels of unemployment, poor nutrition, health, housing, literacy and welfare status, low levels of industrialization and lower status of women. so, Govt. of India introduced implemented many plans and programmes for the development of rural masses. The programmes implemented by the Govt. of India for development of rural people can be discussed by dividing into three categories, i. e growth oriented, area specific and target oriented and poverty alleviation programmes.

India has gained vast experience in the implementation of rural development programmes , According to UNDP report it has been ranked 135^th among a total of 174 countries . Despite of launching numerous programmes and schemes and pumping crores of rupees in to rural development, the overall picture of rural India continues to be grim. The rural development programmes are almost failed socio – economic conditions of the rural people. The failure of past development efforts was largely distributed to the lack of people’s participation. Without people’s participation it is impossible for administration to function effectively or implemented any plans and programmes properly. Development was carried out for the people, but not by them. In response, the emphasis shifted to total development efforts and involvement of people in development activities. Participation has come to be recognized as an absolute imperative for development. Some even argue that development, in fact is participation. Rural development is a people’s programme, it is essential that people should take active part in rural development activities. For success of any development programmes, people’s participation is most important. Without people’s participation success of rural development programmes cannot be ensure.