Lull after the strom: poverty and integrated rural development

The present title gives a comprehensive account of the functioning of the Integrated Rural Development Programme in the country, on the basis of data collected by reputed research institutions from all over the country, on behalf of the Ministry of Agriculture, Department of Rural Development, Government of India.
The book emphasizes that poverty cannot be alleviated merely by the provision of assets through IRDP. A programme of rural development has to be viewed from the objective of a direct attack on poverty. IRDP, at best, can provide some relief to the poor by enabling them cross the poverty line in the short run. However, it is the long term poverty alleviation policy that is required to be undertaken. There is a need for fundamental institutional re forms which would require a change in the existing control over the means of production and access to key services. There is also a need for new alliances, those between the development administration and the rural poor. At the political level, an alliance has to be made between those groups which are concerned for the poor. These alliances must have the willing and enthusiastic participation of the poor. The problem of poverty cannot be solved merely by giving a buffalo here and a cow there. The need for a long term poverty alleviation strategy is imperative.