Rural Development Gaps in Meghalaya: Constraints Faced by Farmers and Officials

The study was conducted in the state of Meghalaya comprising of two types of respondents i.e., officials working in community and rural development blocks and the rural people. A sample of 40 officials was selected randomly from two blocks (Pynursla and Mawryngkneng C&RD). From each block, 50 rural people were randomly selected, thus comprising a sample of 40 officials and 100 rural people as respondents, making the total sample size to be 140. The data were collected through personal interview method with the help of pre-structured schedule. For the officials, it was observed that financial constraints ranked first with average mean score of 36.75 followed by infrastructural constraints with average mean score of 35.00. While for the rural people respondents, banking constraints ranked first with average mean score of 72.67 followed by capacity building constraints at rank second with average mean score of 53.33. The study also revealed that all the officials and rural people respondents suggested that dialogue with banks and financial institutions to establish financial centres in villages, regular maintenance and updating of internet facilities, up gradation of block offices and transportation for field work, proper sensitization and awareness required to motivate the people towards rural development programmes.