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economics of on-farm development - Institute for Social and ...

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the establishment expenditure (strictly administrative) increased from 38.23 per cent<br />

<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the total expenditure in 1972-73 to 54.88 per cent in 1988-89. This indicates that<br />

the investment <strong>for</strong> actual infrastructure <strong>development</strong> was marginal <strong>and</strong> there<strong>for</strong>e, it<br />

is quite natural that it leads to under-per<strong>for</strong>mance <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> irrigati<strong>on</strong> projects over time.<br />

The questi<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> cost escalati<strong>on</strong> <strong>and</strong> lag in the completi<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> irrigati<strong>on</strong><br />

projects need a proper underst<strong>and</strong>ing in the specific c<strong>on</strong>text <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> Kerala, in view <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the<br />

physical features. socio-ec<strong>on</strong>omic factors as well as the political rati<strong>on</strong>ale<br />

underlying the <strong>development</strong> strategies followed by the state since independence. The<br />

important physical features having bearing <strong>on</strong> cost escalati<strong>on</strong> <strong>and</strong> time lag-in<br />

completi<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> irrigati<strong>on</strong> projects are: (i) the undulating terrain which c<strong>on</strong>stitutes the<br />

comm<strong>and</strong> area <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> some <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the <strong>on</strong>going irrigati<strong>on</strong> projects: <strong>and</strong> (ii) high rainfall<br />

intensity causing damages to the irrigati<strong>on</strong> structures.<br />

In the following sub-secti<strong>on</strong>s. some <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the important regi<strong>on</strong>-specific facwrs<br />

leading w cost <strong>and</strong> time over-runs in irrigati<strong>on</strong> projects are examined in some detail,<br />

mainly to highlight the undesirable tendencies that have crept into the realm <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />

irrigati<strong>on</strong> <strong>development</strong> involving major chunk <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> financial resources <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the state<br />

without any corresp<strong>on</strong>ding effect <strong>on</strong> per<strong>for</strong>mance efficiency.<br />

5.3.2.1 Socio-ec<strong>on</strong>omic factors<br />

The socio-ec<strong>on</strong>omic factors leading to cost escalati<strong>on</strong> <strong>and</strong> time over-runs in the<br />

specific c<strong>on</strong>text <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> Kerala arc: (a) the substantial decline in area under paddy in the<br />

<strong>and</strong> expensive critcria <strong>for</strong> the projects catering to thc requlrcmcnts <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> external aid agencies.<br />

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