Nature and Role of Infrastructural Linkages to Rural Development

Theory of infrastructural linkages to rural development is developed in the light of forward and backward linkages in case of industrialization. The nature and role of rural infrastructural facilities—irrigation, roads and transport, and electricity-in rural development, especially, analytical behaviour of strength of stimuli to start forward economic activities in rural development is discussed. The working of infrastructural linkages to rural development is discussed in Indian context. The role of social infrastructure—safe drinking water, sanitation, healthcare and education—and its effect through forward linkages completing the development cycle is emphasized. In a small-scale empirical study, the forward linkage factor of irrigation is calculated based on the experience of farmers regarding changes in yields of irrigated crops in a village. The calculation gives the expected result that there is perfect linkage between irrigation and the increased output.