Strategy for rural development

It is now widely accepted that the ideal way to achieve the development of rural areas in Third World countries is through decen tralised programmes which have the active participation of rural populations in both planning and implementation. A highly successful example of such an approach are the dairy cooperative societies which origi nated in Kaira district of Gujarat as a protest against monopoly milk procurement.

The success of the Anand-type coopera tive led the Government of India to establish the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) with a brief to extend that model to other parts of the country. In 1970, the NDDB embarked on one of the largest ever dairy development projects called 'Opera tion Flood'.

The central theme of Dr Mascarenhas' study is to examine how far the NDDB has been successful in fostering the development of rural areas through the establishment of dairy cooperatives. To do so, the author conducted extensive fieldwork in several villages in Karnataka and Gujarat. He also interviewed officials involved with planning and implementing Operation Flood both in the Union and State governments and in the NDDB and related organisations.

Dr Mascarenhas has utilised an inter-dis ciplinary approach to evaluate Operation Flood as a strategy in rural development as also to assess its socio-economic impact. He focuses on the problems of replicating a small-scale project, such as the Anand-type cooperative, on a larger scale as attempted through Operation Flood.

This book provides a balanced and comp rehensive analysis of one of the more in Inovative and ambitious strategies for rural development yet attempted in India, and will be welcomed by all those involved in rural development - planners, policy-mak ers, administrators, activists, scholars and students.