Rural Development in Punjab: A Success Story Gone Astray

For many years, agricultural development in Punjab symbolised one of the most successful experiments in rural development. However, this success story seems to be going astray. The crux of the problem, this volume suggests, is that externally driven modernization to meet national food needs pushed Punjab into highly specialized production of wheat and rice, resulting in over-utilisation of natural resources with adverse environmental consequences that jeopardizing the long-term viability and sustainability of the agrarian economy. Stagnating productivity, reduced farm size, falling household incomes, depleting groundwater resources, are only a few of the problems that characterise Punjab’s agriculture today.

The book establishes clearly that rural development implies more than transformation of traditional agriculture. Apart from ensuring efficient use of limited resources to sustain agricultural production, rural policy should encompass promotion of non-farm activities, investments in social and economic structure and civic amenities.

Autar S. Dhesi is Professor of Economics, now retired. He taught at Guru Nanak Dev University for several years, as also at Coventry University where he is at present Honorary Visiting Research fellow, Coventry Business School.

Dr Dhesi was UGC Visiting Professor of Economics at Punjabi University, Patiala, and Consultant to the World Bank. He has served on several official panels including Punjab State Planning Board, Panel of Industrial Economists, and the Planning Commission of India. His publications include two books (Human Capital Formation and its Utilisation, and Socio-Economic, Agro-Economic and Environmental Impact Study), and several research papers. Apart from this, Dr Dhesi has been Founder Editor of Indian Journal of Quantitative Economics and Editorial Advisor, International Policy Review. He is Founder President of the Punjab Development Society.

Gurmail Singh teaches at Punjab University, Chandigarh. Prior to this, he was with Punjab Agricultural University, and Institute for Development Communication. He has been Consultant to the Government of India and the World Bank. He is presently Vice President, Indian Society for Agricultural Development and Policy, and General Secretary, Punjab Development Society.

Dr Singh has written research papers and has co-authored Impact of GATT on Punjab Agriculture; Alternatives in Agriculture; and Indian Agriculture: Four Decades of Development.