Rural Developement India

Poverty Alleviation through Rural Development
Sunil Kumar
September, 2005 Department of Planning, Government of Uttar Pradesh

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Poverty Alleviation through Rural Development
Uttar Pradesh, with a population of 16.62 crore as per 2001 Census, is the most populous State of the country. UP covers 2,40,928 sq.kms. and accounts for 7.3 percent of total area of the country which makes it the fifth largest State in the country. About 79% of the State’s population reside in rural areas. It is estimated that 31.15% of the State’s population were living below the poverty line in 1999-2000 with almost 80% concentrated in the rural areas. Keeping in view the population and size of the State, it is clear that Uttar Pradesh dominates the Hindi heartland and there cannot be a strong and prosperous India unless Uttar Pradesh and its residents also break the shackles of poverty and tread on the path of development. 2. Uttar Pradesh has 70 districts, 300 Tehsils and 813 development Blocks. There are 52028 Gram Panchayats in the State covering 97134 inhabited villages. The majority of UP’s villages are small, with an average population of around 3194 per panchayat. Rural Development 3. Development of rural areas has been at the core of planning process in the country and also in the State. Rural Development is a broad, inclusive term which takes in its ambit socio-economic and political development of the rural areas. It includes measures to strengthen the democratic fabric of society through the Panchayati Raj Institutions as well as provide the vast rural multitude ‘voice and choice’ apart from measures to improve the rural infrastructure, improve income of rural households and delivery systems pertaining to education, health and safety net mechanisms. Poverty alleviation is a key component of rural development. Panchayati Raj Institutions 4. The State has a vibrant three-tier Panchayati Raj system in place and elections are being held at regular intervals of five years...