The document discusses the lack of rural infrastructure in India and its negative impacts. It notes that over 70% of India's rural population lacks access to basic infrastructure and the national economy. This is due to insufficient rural roads, markets, transportation, and other facilities. As a result, rural populations face limited livelihood opportunities, agricultural stagnation, and high levels of poverty. The document argues that a public-private partnership approach to rural infrastructure development is needed to open new business opportunities for both corporations and rural communities.

2. RURAL ROAD DEVELOPMENT
In present scenario, rural India continues to suffer from lack of sufficient basic infrastructure
and finds it difficult to undertake activities that can accelerate the pace of economic
development. In the absence of infrastructural facilities, there is lack of market access to rural
population, and thus, limited livelihood opportunities, agricultural stagnation and aggravation
of poverty levels. Absence of infrastructure also makes rural markets fragmented which is
characterised by high cost of transaction and high information asymmetry. The need for the
hour is a robust public-private partnership for developing rural infrastructure, and such a joint
effort between the government and the corporate shall open new business opportunities,
both for the corporate as well as the rural populace.

3. Modal Shift
Three quarters of India’s rural
population, constituting the majority
of India’s poor are not integrated
into the National economy showing
the need for better rural transport.
Shift of 70% of
passenger traffic

4. Status of Rural Roads
& so....
Reflects Socio-Economic
situation of States

5. India has an extensive river system = 14,500 km of navigable
waterways. Despite, inland water transport plays only a
very marginal role in the transport sector.
Reason for this is poor
infrastructure;
waterways suffer
from hazards such as
shallow waters, narrow
width of channels, bank
erosion and inadequate
navigational aids.

6. The public investment in rural infrastructure development has been on account of the
fact that total government expenditure has been curtailed due the “structural
adjustment programmes” and also due to the low priority attached to rural
infrastructure by most governments in developing countries

7. Rural Access to infrastructure Services
at All India Level
Facility (Market Access) Within <2 kms 2-5 Kms 5-10 kms > 10 kms No
village record
Railway station 1.20 2.30 8.30 12.80 74.20 1.20
Bus Stop 30.50 17.10 24.40 15.00 11.60 1.40
Metalled roads 44.60 16.00 19.10 8.90 9.90 1.50
All weather roads 57.40 13.50 16.20 5.70 5.90 1.50
Post offices 21.60 25.80 35.40 10.40 4.20 2.60
PCO/ Email 19.60 14.10 25.50 14.30 25.00 1.50
Bank 6.60 11.70 33.60 23.60 23.20 1.30
Agri. Inputs shops 13.30 14.70 27.60 20.30 22.80 1.30
Fair price shop 43.10 21.80 22.30 7.70 3.70 1.40
Market/ Weekly market 11.00 14.80 32.30 18.80 21.70 1.40

8. Relevant Rural Transportation Programmes
PMGSY (Prime
Minister’s Rural
Roads Program)
providing new
connectivity to about
180,000 habitations
through the construction
of about 372,000 km of
roads, and upgrading
370,000 km of the
existing core rural
network.

9. • In 2008 the PMGSY had provided connectivity to 42,019
eligible habitations serving about 45 million rural people.

10. • Habitations with a population above 1000 are targeted to
be connected by 2010 and habitations with a population of
500 by 2015.

11. • Roads provided by the PMGSY have become important to
the rural population of India.

12. • They have also resulted in a spurt in house building in rural
areas.

13. • It has already created employment opportunities to local
people of around 460 million man days per year – though
the majority of these jobs are in the informal sector.

14. Rural Roads Project
• It supports the building of rural roads in the states of Bihar,
Jammu and Kashmir.
• There is a “transect
walk” where
representatives of
local communities
walk the stretch of
the proposed road
so that their
concerns can be
taken into account
at the design stage.

15. Rural Roads Project
• Further the project has
helped lay down an
environmental protection
code and ongoing
maintenance of roads is
ensured through 5 year
maintenance contracts

16. CONCLUSION
• The government should attempt to mobilize
private sector participation to bridge the resource
gap and increase operational and managerial
efficiency.

17. CONCLUSION
• Involving the private sector more should also lead
to greater public sector performance and
accountability.

18. CONCLUSION
• There is no industry linkage machinery to create
demand-based-technology market for rural
communities.

19. CONCLUSION
• There is also an imbalance between strategies and
management programmes.

20. CONCLUSION
• A robust public private partnership for developing
rural infrastructure is the need for the hour, and
such a joint effort between the government and
the corporate shall open new business
opportunities both for the corporate, as well the
rural populace.

21. By:
Dr. Alqa Aziz
Department of Commerce & Business Studies
Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi – 110025, India
Tel: 91-991-137-5144, E-mail: alqa.aziz@gmail.com
&
Ar. Iram Aziz
Delhi Development Authority (Vikas Minar), Vikas Marg,
Indraprastha Estate, New Delhi – 110002, India
Tel: 91-999-034-9357, E-mail: ar.iramaziz@gmail.com