Socio-economic impact of rural community infrastructure works programme and rural access programme: With special reference to Mangalsen-Binayak-Karnali road in Achham

Abstract

Nepal is one of the developing countries where more than 30 percent of the total population failed to meet minimum requirements of life in 2008, of these more than 15 percent are believed to be ultra-poor. The poverty in Nepal is essentially a rural and urban and particularly agrarian phenomenon. Scarcity of land, chemical fertilizers, lack of improved seeds, insecticides and illiteracy are the problems of rural communities in our country. In the mid 70s, Small Farmer Development Program was launched in Nepal under the supervision of Agricultural Development Bank. There were other programs like PCRW to reduce poverty of rural women. But poverty could not be reduced in most of the rural area of Nepal. After 90's decade, government of Nepal and UN Agencies such as UNDP, UNICEF and WFO launched collaborate programs to reduce poverty as well as to increase food access through development of rural roads which are labor intensive and decrease food deficiency through food for work programs. RURAL COMMUNITY INFRASTRUCTURE WORKS and RURAL ACCESS PROGRAMME has changed the situation of the people of rural area like the study area of this project report i.e. Mangalsen-Binayak-Karnali road corridor which is now a part of the Middle Hill Highway. Scarcity of land, chemical fertilizers and lack of improved seeds, insecticides and illiteracy are the problems of rural communities in our country. Program has assisted to overcome the problems to this effect. New linkages of the rural roads also are increased due to completion of the Mangalsen-Binayak-Karnali road corridor. A study was done to find out the socio-economic impact of the program in the project area of Achham district. The main objectives of the study were: i) To find out the participation of women and equal wage for equal work of male and female. ii) To find out food deficiency before and after the completion of the project. iii) To study impact on health of school going children and enrollment and continuity to primary schools up to class five. iv) To evaluate the income generation activities run by the project. v) To analyze the sustainability of maintenance fund and committees created by the project. The implementation of this study is focused in the specific area, within the limited budget and time frame. It may or may not be generalized as a whole.

This study is done from November, 2009 to April, 2010 at Achham district, far-western region of Nepal. The research is targeted for various activities concerning socio-economic impact of rural roads funded by WFP and DFID through Rural Community Infrastructure works and Rural Access Program launched by Ministry of Local Development of government of Nepal. Data are collected from primary and secondary sources. The primary data were collected through structured questionnaire and sample households were taken with random sampling and secondary data were collected through MoLD, CBS, WFP, DFID RCIW and RAP program office and their publications. The research design of this study was both descriptive and analytic in nature. Regarding these methods of research the sample size were taken as 100 beneficiary out of eight Village Development Committees and 50 non-beneficiary families out of six adjoined Village Development committees of eastern Achham. The collected data were analyzed through tabulation, percentage and average.

The Rural community Infrastructure works and Rural Access Program (RCIW/RAP) had launched different social, economic and training activities. As FY 1999-2008, 121 groups were formed with 67 female, 45 male and 9 Dalits groups saved 5564 thousands rupees, maintain food for 12 months, introduce vegetable farming , high value seed farming and fruit planting for income generation. Similarly the average income of the beneficiary households was increased and reduced the income gap as well. Literacy rate and health and hygiene skill of beneficiary households are found to be greater both male and female as compared to non-beneficiaries.

The policy of RCIW/RAP was made effective by making the official procedure of assessment of districts in the sector of food deficiency and access of roads and other infrastructures by government and donors and launched program according to bottom-up planning approach to reduce food deficiency of poor and improve the condition of rural infrastructures. For achieving the aim, other recommendations such as proper coordination by District Development Committee, contribution by Village Development Committees and communities as well as other line agencies and development partners encouraging to save and learn to earn through income generating activities, training according to the needs of the people and to conduct diversified economic activities based on local technology, resources and market are suggested.