Infrastructural Support to Agro-Based Industrialization: Some Empirical Observations

Rural development incorporates the development of agriculture and allied occupation. During the plan period, effort have been made to promote agriculture by providing massive doses of investment, payment of subsidies, supply of inputs and extension network. But the benefits of agriculture growth have not 'trickled down' either to improve the economic condition of the farming class or the people depending upon agriculture for their subsistence. Agro-based industries play a vital role in the development of rural economy on which that of the national economy depends, since it is largely an agrarian one. Agro-based industries help to improve the state income and facilitating an equitable distribution of the same among different sectors and regions in economy. This study was planned as a micro study in the form of a case-study and covers the district Bulandshahr of Western Uttar Pradesh. The study includes categories of industries in drawing out random samples from the universe (i.e, District Bulandshahr). In order to evaluate the impact of agro-based industries on rural development, four categories of agro-based industries have been selected which are Sugar Industries; Dal Mills; Flour Mills and Rice Mills.