07.03.2014 Views

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

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

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

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

Create successful ePaper yourself

Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.

expenditure due to change <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> specificati<strong>on</strong>i defective estimati<strong>on</strong>: (c I n<strong>on</strong>recovery<br />

<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> advances, cost <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> materials from c<strong>on</strong>tractors: (d) extra expenditure<br />

due to departmental delays: (e) defective <strong>for</strong>mati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> canal systems: (vi) change<br />

in scope <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the scheme in the course <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> executi<strong>on</strong>: <strong>and</strong> (f) irregular additi<strong>on</strong>al<br />

payment <strong>for</strong> earthwork excavati<strong>on</strong>.<br />

The rise in factor costs, namely, l<strong>and</strong>, labour <strong>and</strong> materials also<br />

c<strong>on</strong>tributed to cost escalati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> irrigati<strong>on</strong> projects. Since the opportunity Cllst llf<br />

l<strong>and</strong> is high in Kerala due to the high density <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> populati<strong>on</strong> as well as agricultural<br />

<strong>and</strong> n<strong>on</strong>-agricultural dem<strong>and</strong>, l<strong>and</strong> has become an important asset rather than<br />

input in the agricultural producti<strong>on</strong> process. This resulted in high transacti<strong>on</strong> cost<br />

<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> l<strong>and</strong> even in the comm<strong>and</strong> areas. The rise in labour costs as well as material<br />

costs have been substantial in nominal terms. While wages increased almost 2 to<br />

3 times across categories during the period between 1960 <strong>and</strong> 1999. the material<br />

costs also have increased. Maximum rise in costs <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> materials has been noticed in<br />

the prices <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> s<strong>and</strong> (11199 %), bricks (7900 %) <strong>and</strong> cement (2245 %) during the<br />

entire period.<br />

Another important source <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> cost escalati<strong>on</strong> has been the abnormal rise in<br />

revenue (establishment) expenditure. According to the norms fixed by ewe in<br />

September 1990, the establishment expenditure in irrigati<strong>on</strong> projects should not<br />

to exceed 15 per cent <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the capital expenditure including expenditure <strong>on</strong><br />

investigati<strong>on</strong>. But. it was found that establishment expenditure has been more<br />

than the stipulated norm <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> 15 per cent in the case <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> eight irrigati<strong>on</strong> schemes. It<br />

ranges from as high as 78 per cent in Meenachil project to 57 per cent in<br />

Chamravattom. Am<strong>on</strong>g the projects, the escalati<strong>on</strong> in revenue expenditure has<br />

340

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!