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Regional Disparities in Socio-Economic Development in West Bengal

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REGIONAL DISPARITIES IN SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN WEST BENGAL ABSTRACT THESIS SUBMITTED FOR THE AWARD OF THE DEGREE OF Mntm of ^IjilQ^opfip IN GEOGRAPHY BY MD. SHAMIM UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF Prof. Azimuddin Qureshi DEPARTMENT OF GEOGRAPHY ALIGARH MUSLIM UNIVERSITY ALIGARH (INDIA) 2002 ABSTRACT One of the serious problems that India is facing today is the problem of regional disparities. It results in social, economic and political instability. The current tension and strain in the Indian polity are essentially a function of inadequacy of the strategies evolved since independence to correct inequalities and distortions embodied in the Indian space economy during the period of colonial rule.^ These stresses in recent years have acquired alarming proportions and have been weakening the foundation of Indian unity and integrity. The recent turmoil in the northeastern states, and in West Bengal, Gorkhaland agitation, which are extremely backward regions are indications to these threats. The growing trend of regionalism, secessionism and separatism in these areas are due to frustration of the people particularly young generation arising out of prolonged regional disparities. It has been observed that problems arising out of socio­ economic disparities often get linked with L'nguistic and cultural affinities of the region. These problems take serious shape and subsequently become difficult to eliminate. There are many ways of analysing spatial disparities in the level of socio-economic development, but the regional approach which permit the vertical integration of socio­ economic condition and horizontal variations over space, is of paramount importance. Using the spatial approach of a unit of spatial organisation of society in terms of certain selected indicators of the level of socio-economic development can be identified. Once the regions of underdeveloped have been identified, an analysis of the main factors contributing to disparities in the level of development. Only then strategies and measures for spatial order can be suggested). This study has been divided into Six chapters. The first three chapters are theoretical and are intended to provide the base for conceptual pai-anieters. While the last two are mainly analytical in nature. Chapter first deals with a general geographical characteristics of the study area. The second chapter is devoted to the review of literature and third chapter deals with significance and selection of indicators and the methodological framework for the analysis of this study. It contains conceptual framework of indicators, a brief history of evolution of indicator movement in the world in general and India in particular. The rationale behind selecting various indicators for measuring disparities, in the study area has also been discussed in this chapter, ^he fourth chapter deals with the identification of regions of relative levels of development and disparities using the standard score additive modelsj ^hile the fifth chapter highlights the relative importance of different vai"iables and factors responsible for creating spatial disparities in the study area based on Factor Analysis.\)The concluding chapter discusses the main findings of this study and also highlights corrective measures for minimisation of the existing regional imbalance found in the study areaV The state of West Bengal lies between 21°38^and 27°10' North latitudes and 85°50'and 89°50^ East longitude. It is located in the north eastern part of the country, and extends over 87853 Sq. kms, and covers a little less than three percent of India's land ai^ea. It is bounded on the north by Bhutan and the state of Sikkim, on the east by Bangladesh, on the north east by the state of Assam, on the south by the Bay of Bengal, on the south west by the state of Orissa, on the north-west by Nepal and on the west by the state of Bihar and Jharkhand. The main objectives of the present study are as follows: 1. i To identify the regions of relative levels of development in terms of a laige number of social and economic indicators sector wise as well as in aggregate. 2 2. To study dimensions of ciispai^ities. 3. To highlight factors and processes responsible for emerging patterns of socio-economic disparities and 4. To suggest remedial measures for their minimisation. Various h^'potheses have been constructed to investigate the problem of socio-economic development and regional disparities. Testing of these hypotheses in the ai'ea under study is the crux of the research problem. Following are the major hypothesis of this reseaixh. i. The level of socio-economic development is directly related to urbanization and industrialization, ii. There is marked regional, social and economic disparities in the study area and the backward regions are characterised by a large proportion of their population depending on primary activities, iii. Regional disparities caii be reduced by maximizing regional income. This will involve utilizing natural and human resources, especially maximising the utilisation of work force. The study is based on secondary sources of data collected from census, publications and different concerned state government departments. The disparities have been perceived in terms of a wide range of indicators covering the areas of health, housing, education, urbanisation, per capita income, agricultural development and industrial development etc. The spatial dimensions of disparities have been measured using the technique of standardized score additive Model and Factor Analysis. Districts have been chosen as unit of analysis, keeping in view the availability of data and nature of the problem. The basic findings of the foregoing study shows that there are wide inter-district disparities in the level of socio­ economic development in West Bengal. The highly developed areas are small in extent and are largely confined to the south Bengal comprising the district of Howrah, Calcutta, Burdwan and 24-Pai"gaiia. While remaining districts are extremely backwai^d with some exceptions in the case of Darjeeling and Hooghly district which ai^e moderately developed. The main reason for high level of development may be attributed to their higher degree of Industrialisation and urbanisation. They are developed due to the advantage of being located in one of the richest mineral belts of India and also previous advantages, of big industrial complexes like Durgapur, Asansol, Hooghly, Calcutta and Haldia port which lie in this region. There is also good accessibility of railways, roads, and location of DVC Hydel Power Plants, and many other Thermal Power Plant. On the other hand the underdeveloped regions lie in the south western part and between north and south Bengal. The south western region comprises the districts of Purulia and Bankura while the other backward regions include the district of Malda and West Dinajpore. Their under privileged conditions can be attributed to the fact that these districts are agriculturally as well as industrially backward. Agricultural productivity is low, the size of the land holdings are small and too many people are dependent on farming. Farmers do not adequately use the modern inputs such as chemical fertilizers, insecticides, pesticides, assured means of irrigation and modern agricultural tools and implements to raise the productivity. This region is also facing the problems of drought and flood, as a result crops are destroyed almost every year. These districts also lack in urbanization, industrialisation and infrastructural facilities, that leads to their backwardness. All these factors have increased the gap in the level of development between developed and backward regions. Thus, there ai^e a few islands of developed area in the vast ocean of either moderately developed or underdeveloped areas. The factorai analysis of the regional disparities in the study area has shown three dimensions, (i) Urbanisation and Socio-economic development, (ii) Agricultural productivity and Infrastructure (iii) Industrialisation and Education. The first factor,, urbanisation and socio-economic development accounts lor 46.37 per cent of the total variaiice. The nature of factor loadings indicates that almost all the factors of socio-economic development are positively associated with urbanisation. The indicators which have very high positive loadings with urbanisation are Pucca house to total houses, Banks per lakh of population, per capita income, literacy, Hospital beds per lakh of population and non-agricultural employment. This factor shows that there are concentrations of amenities and facilities in urban centers and they are more socially developed than their rural counterpart. The spatial pattern of the first factor shows that the areas of very high scores of socio-economic development are Calcutta, Howrah, Hooghly and Burdwan. The backward districts in terms of socio-economic development are Purulia, Bankura, Birbhum, Midnapore, Murshidabad, Malda, West Dinajpore and Cooch Behar. The second dimension is agricultural productivity and infrastructure explains 19.70 percent of the total variance. It indicates that heavy inputs m the form of irrigation facilities, fertilizers, high yielding varieties of seeds, intensive cropping and mechanisation of agriculture has direct bearing on productivity and yield per hectare has increased. Besides this infrastructural facilities has also developed tremendously especially, availability of electricity, transport and communication etc. The spatial pattern of this factor reveals that the
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