Singh Baljit | Akateeminen Kirjakauppa

m A Study of the Re - organisation of Agricultural Planning in India, By BALJIT SINGH, M. A.. LL. B., PH. D.. PROFESSOR OF AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS, B. R. COLLEGE, AGRA. Published by N. R. AGARWAL CO., M. K. GARDEN, AGRA. PREFACE. In any scheme of post-war economic development of the country, settlement must be made of the many different issues of agricultural economy. I undertook the present study not with a view to present any plan, which may achieve any formal completenes, or advocate any particular policy, but to make a comprehensive and concise survey of those essential issues. It, however, provides the ingredients, which may be helpful in forming a scientific plan for rationalisation of small-scale farming in the country. The account and analysis set forth here, of the present economic situation and opportunities jjn the country, which has forced us to do a great deal of hard and untrammelled thinking, puts the fundamental facts so clearly as to leave no excuse for an intelligent reader for not being able to make his own judgment about them. It is possible that one may not agree with my conclusions, but that does not tender my account incorrect. It has been unavoidable in such an investigation as this to deal with immediate practical issues and plans, the shape of which is changing almost every moment. Since the book has been a lon time in the writing and its main text was finished several months back, my remarks about our particular post-war economic arrange ments are subject to a great limitation. It is now an indisputable fact that while the pace of our industrial development must be quickened, the teeming millions of the country have little chance to improve their lot withoutalmost a revolution in the technique of agricultural production and the system of land tenures. I must also set forth in the forefront of my arguments that while planning for production we must lay proper emphasis on the problems of distribution. In other words the determination of proper values of the different factors of production and of the commodities produced should no longer be postponed. Price-control, instead of being relaxed in the post-war period should be made more comprehensive and refined to work out and stabilize a proper pries-parity. 11 I wish to admit my indebtedness to the sources, wherefrom I have borrowed profusely the material for this thesis. These are so numerous that it is not practicable to express thanks individually to all of them here. But the debt, which I owe to Dr. Radha Kamal Mukerjee is of a different nature and is the largest of all. It is under his guidance that I have completed this investigation and but for whose encouragement and constant help it couldnt possibly be finished. But it would never have been even begun without the kindly insistence of my wife, who also went through the ardours of proof-reading and compiling the index so cheerfully that I cannot but admire her. I however imagine to have taken her supplies under lend-lease arrangements for who knows the big-powers may after all cancel these obligations. As for my pioneer publisher, I wonder, if they need my thanks. BALJIT SINGH. Simla, June 1945. CONTENTS. Page. Preface Chapter I. Transition of Indian Agriculture. 1 21 A. The Economic Background .... .... 1 12 Village Communities Characteristic Features of Indian Agricultural Economy Over-crowding Staple Farm ing Limping cultivationPrecarious Living Defective Organisation Deficit Economy Absence of planning and control. B. The Social Background. .... .... 1221 Caste Joint Family Customs. Chapter II. The Physical Background .... 2241 A. The Land .... .... .... 2231 Soil Survey The Alluvial soils The Red soils The Black soils The Laterite soils Optimum soil condi tions Soil Fertility Soil Erosion Forests. B. Climate and Rainfall .... .... 31 4 Climate Rainfall Agricultural Regions The Arid West The Punjab Plains The Ganges Valley The Coastal Plains The Deccan Plateau The Deccan Foreland...