Rural Development in Punjab: Issues and Policy Perspectives

Rural Development is a process which aims at improving the well-being and self realization of people living in the rural area. Fast economic development in any country to a greater extent depends on the rural development and it assists the economy to grow at a fast rate and sustainable in the long run. The paper revealed that rural development does not means only increase in the per capita income in the rural settings, but also many improvements in their quality of life such as better health, education, housing, food and nutrition facilities, etc. Punjab is one of the highly developed states of Indian economy thanks to the success of green revolution strategy started in the mid-1960s and small scale industries. The state has become a leading contributor to the country food grain’s basket. The basic objective of this paper is to analyze the various issues related to the development of rural areas of Punjab. It also suggests ways and means to overcome the challenges of rural development. It also suggests workable strategy to create new opportunities of gainful self-employment for the rural families, especially to the disadvantaged sections of society by ensuring sustainable livelihood, enriched environment, improved quality of life and human values. To achieve these goals, the paper states that there is a need for co-ordination among various government agencies and other institutions engaged in the rural development. This will also help in minimizing the rural-urban gap in terms of basic infrastructural facilities essential for ‘sustainable rural development’ of a region like Punjab