Non-economic Indirect Benefits of Road on Rural Households in West Bengal

Abstract

It is a well known fact that majority of poor people in the world live in rural areas where the level of public infrastructure especially roads is low. Provision of good road network is essential for the development of any country. Inadequate roads and poor road access results in high transportation cost, limits the uses of local markets, limits the purchase of consumer goods and opportunities for non-farm employments, reduces opportunities for new business and entrepreneurship, hinders social mobility and interaction, political participation, reduces access to credit, high quality inputs and constraints access to other social infrastructures such as education, health facilities etc. which are important for socio-economic development of the rural mass. In this view, an attempt has been made in this study to consider the benefits of rural roads apart from income and employment pattern of the households of West Bengal. It has been found that rural infrastructure like roads and railways significantly affect the socioeconomic aspects of rural people. The study also reveals that high road density and population density positively influences the educational level; proximity of main road and rail station improves the standard of living by increasing the access to health, education, market facilities, social mobility, affecting land holding pattern, political participation and other indirect benefits apart from change in income, employment, consumption pattern. When the above parameters are considered separately, group mean statistical analysis shows a statistically significant result for the group of rural households living in the vicinity of roads and rail stations with relatively better connectivity.