Measuring Indigenous Feedback for Impact Assessment of Economic Development Schemes in Paschimanchal Region, West Bengal, India

Abstract

Development schemes are targeted for socio-economic improvement of the deprived down-trodden; but in most cases the targeted goals remain unaccomplished due to different socio-cultural and technological constraints on the part of the target group and also discrepancies on the part of the administrators, planners, implementers and scheme-monitoring committees. The present study is conducted in Paschimanchal, a planning region of West Bengal - the home to different indigenous communities of the State; based on the objectives - identifying success and failure of schemes, evaluating schemes on basis of indigenous feedback, framing measures for avoiding constraints to ensure that indigenous communities avail and derive benefit from these schemes for economic development in the region. We conducted primary survey in the indigenous households of the study area and used Relative Importance Index as a statistical tool to grade and rank which variable is potentially hindering the development of the indigenous people. The study revealed that most of the schemes have failed and respondents could not take benefit of the schemes; while Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme benefitted the people but also suffered from limitations that prevented its total success. We tried to recommend certain measures to eliminate the bottlenecks to promote positive economic outcomes and boost financial security of the poor and needy.