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

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deficiencies that help drawing less<strong>on</strong>s to incorporate preventive measures in the<br />

completed irrigati<strong>on</strong> projects <strong>and</strong> curative measures in the <strong>on</strong>-going <strong>on</strong>es.<br />

The shortcomings in achieving targets as brought out by the report may<br />

not be surprising, because, the <strong>development</strong> planning programmes in India have<br />

invariably been far behind the expected targets. For instance, the achievement <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />

Warab<strong>and</strong>i programme in the irrigati<strong>on</strong> projects <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> Kerala, as brought out by the<br />

(AGI Report (1998), was <strong>on</strong>ly 57 per cent. The achievement in the c<strong>on</strong>structi<strong>on</strong><br />

<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> filed drains, a very crucial aspect <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> OFD to prevent adverse effects <strong>on</strong> soi I,<br />

was just 9 per cent. It is a reflecti<strong>on</strong> <strong>on</strong> the commitment <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the government <strong>and</strong><br />

particularly CADA to take up OFD works in the comm<strong>and</strong> areas.<br />

Furthermore, the report has highlighted the misleading statistics given by<br />

the (ADA <strong>on</strong> implementati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> OFD programmes. For example, it was reported<br />

by the (ADA that in the entire ayacut <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> 76958 ha. under eight projects, fieid<br />

channels c<strong>on</strong>structi<strong>on</strong> was completed. But, <strong>on</strong> verificati<strong>on</strong>, it was found that an<br />

area <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> 28361 ha. (37 %) was left out without c<strong>on</strong>structing field channels. But the<br />

amount spent <strong>on</strong> it far exceeded the targets <strong>and</strong> norms fixed by the government.<br />

It shows the manipulative strategies <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the bureaucracy to justify the amount<br />

spent <strong>on</strong> OFD. This is just <strong>on</strong>e example to dem<strong>on</strong>strate as to how the rentseeking<br />

attitude <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the impkmenting <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>ficers has been c<strong>on</strong>tributing to the<br />

emergence <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> less efficient <strong>and</strong> cost-ineffective irrigati<strong>on</strong> systems.<br />

The influence <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> political <strong>and</strong> local dynamics <strong>on</strong> the prioritisati<strong>on</strong> <strong>and</strong><br />

implementati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> programmes has also been brought out. According to the<br />

government guidelines <strong>and</strong> orders, <strong>on</strong>ly completed projects should be brought<br />

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