Rural Development Scenario and Strategies in Bundelkhand Region of Madhya Pradesh, India

Abstract

Development is a multi-dimensional process involving qualitative and quantitative changes in social, political and economic domains of society and it is undertaken essentially to lead to a better state of life. Rural Development plays an important role in the inclusive growth of a region like Bundelkhand, where the majority of the population lives in backward villages. Without upliftment of these rural people, the objective of integrated and balanced development of the country cannot achieve. The study area under this research is the Bundelkhand region of Madhya Pradesh, which consists of six districts of northern Madhya Pradesh, namely Datia, Tikamgarh, Chattarpur, Damoh, Sagar and Panna. The villages of the region is facing the severe problems of poverty, backwardness, unemployment, poor infrastructure facilities and industrial base, deprived health, under agricultural production and under development. Very few efforts have been made to tackle the problem of rural backwardness at micro-regional level. In the present study the Composite Index method has been adopted to measure the level of development among the villages of Bundelkhand region. On the basis of composite index, 7157 villages of Bundelkhand region of Madhya Pradesh have been divided into 4 categories of level of development. The paper aims to categories the villages into four deferent levels of development and frame a strategic planning module for the development of the rural economy to create a better tomorrow for Bundelkhand.