Articles by R S Deshpande

A continuation of the discussion on new structures for watershed development programmes (July 8, 2006; October 7, 2006 and December 9, 2006) and a highlighting of the issues that the National Rainfed Area Authority has to address if it is to be successful in revitalising watershed development and rainfed agriculture.

It has been five decades since independence, yet several policy initiatives framed by central and state governments do not really reach their intended beneficiaries - the farmers. Recent findings of the National Sample Survey Organisation's 59th round are revelatory of the plight of our farmers; over 48 per cent of them are indebted and nearly two-thirds of the farmers are frustrated with their profession. It is only to be hoped that the results will help in the framing of a long-range farm policy.

Irrigation impacts agricultural wage trends through increased demand for labour, cropping intensity and shift in the cropping pattern from low value crops to high value crops. An attempt is made here to explore the relationship between irrigation development and wage rate of agricultural labourers using statewise cross section data pertaining to five points of time: 1972-73, 1977-78, 1983, 1987-88 and 1993-94. The results of the study show that there is a positive impact of availability of irrigation on real wages of agricultural labourers. Also irrigation helps to narrow down the difference between the statutory minimum wages and prevailing wage rates. The gender wage differential is found to be narrowing at a faster rate in the states where irrigation is highe

The functioning of the Public Distribution System (PDS) in India has come under scrutiny because of rising burden of subsidy and storage cost and meagre coverage of the poor and the actual benefits received by them. It is argued in this paper that the existing system has become unwieldy and unsustainable and that the time has come to review it, especially in the context of panchayat raj institutions (PRI) and the role they are expected to play in regard to the rural poor. With the help of illustrative data from two drought-prone districts of Karnataka, an attempt is made in the paper to demonstrate the feasibility of a decentralised system operated by PRI based on the local staples consumed by the poor. The result seems encouraging enough to suggest that it would be worthwhile to have more substantive investigation as also pilot projects to test the workability of the decentralised system.

Although irrigation is a state subject, central directives often change the course of the state policies. Maharashtra is the only state to have undertaken an analysis of the problems of irrigation with the help of the state machinery through various committees/commissions. The paper, in the context of the appointment of the Second Irrigation Commission in the state deals with the problems of irrigation at the country level as well as in some specific states. While privatisation has been a frequently suggested solution to all ills, it is necessary first to understand the problems and prospects of privatisation initiatives notably the Krishna Valley Project in the state.