Vol. 12, Special Issue 12 (2023)

Author(s):
Amalendu Kumar and RS Singh

Abstract:
Road is a major economic infrastructure and it is essential for improving living condition and helpful in acceleration of the socio-economic conditions. This infrastructure also stabilizes the agricultural growth and creates opportunities of employment, income, livelihood, enhance nutritional level, diversification of farm, market access in agricultural, industrial and services sectors. Expenditure on rural road in Bihar indicates that in between triennium ending 2001-03 to 2021-22 around Rs.7748 crores expended for construction of 120503 kms of rural roads in the state which covers around 78.00 percent of the total village roads in the state. During the same period a significant increase in total food grains production was recorded and it was about 50.66 percent. The per capita income was found increased from Rs 25653.00 to Rs 55055.00 in the same period. In this background present paper is constructed to assess the linkages between construction of rural roads and development of agriculture in the state and different zones as a major objective. The study is based on secondary level data collected from various published and un-published sources. The study finds that due to construction of rural roads in rural areas farmers and common people access the facilities of insurance, KCC, subsidies on tractors, agricultural implements & machinery, facilities of soil testing laboratory, increases in the consumption of quality seeds and easily access cold storage & go downs after construction of rural roads. Across the zones the construction of rural roads were not found uniform and it was found that in (zone-I) 51,471 Kms. in (zone-II) 25,601 kms. in (zone- IIIA) 11,337 kms and in (zone-IIIB) 31,868 kms. Accordingly the growth of agriculture and economic parameters found varied across the zones. At the overall level study finds that the impact of rural roads on agricultural practices, productivity and some extent diversification of farm observed a significant positive impact on those areas where rural roads network was high. The rural roads also serve as the feeder roads as well as the roads for inter-village movement up to nearest town, district and state in some extent it helps in backward and forward linkages in agricultural activities but it also proved a big cause for migration of working population for searching of better wage and employment and is responsible for crisis of labourers for agricultural purposes in peak period. The study also finds several interesting findings and linkages for socio economic development after construction of rural roads.