MSc

The study entitled 'Performance and potential of gramasabhas in crop
production. in Athiyanoor block of Thiruvananthapuram district was
undertaken to study the effectiveness, attitude and perception and to identify
the constraints as perceived by the farmers, officials and people's
representatives regarding the functioning of gramasabhas.
The study was conducted in Venganoor, Vizhinjam, Athiyanoor and
Kottukal panchayats of Athiyanoor block. A sample of 200 respondents were
selected using multistage random sampling technique. Data were collected
through well structured and pre-tested interview schedule.
Sixty per cent of the farmers, fifty five per cent of the officials and
sixty per cent of the people's representatives perceive the gramasabhas as
effective in planning and implanting agricultural development programmes.
Regarding the attitude towards gramasabhas, 58.43 per cent of the
farmers and 87.50 per cent of the people's representatives possessed a very
favourable attitude. Among the officials, 65 per cent were favourable towards
gramasabhas.
Eighty per cent of the people's representatives had very good
perception about the functioning of gramasabhas. The study revealed that
57.50 per cent of the officials and 61.67 per cent of the farmers belonged to
high group with respect to perception.
Majority of the farmers had education upto high school level with
farming as the main occupation. Most of the farmers expressed a high level

of political orientation, cosmopoliteness, social participation and extension
participation. Information source utilisation and orientation of the farmers
towards incentives were also found to be high for majority of the respondents.
Personal, socio-psychological variables viz., education, political
orientation, cosmopoliteness, social participation, information source
utilisation, leadership propensity, attitude towards people's plan and
orientation towards incentives had shown a positive and significant
relationship with effectiveness. Annual income had negatively significant
relationship with effectiveness.
Education, main occupation, political orientation, social participation,
attitude towards people's plan, economic motivation and orientation towards
incentives had shown a positive and significant relation with attitude of the
farmers towards gramasabhas. Annual income was found to be negatively
correlated with attitude.
Education, main occupation, political orientation, social participation,
attitude towards people's plan, economic motivation and orientation towards
incentives had shown a 'positively significant relationship with perception of
the farmers about. the functioning of gramasabhas. Annual income had
negatively significant relation with perception.
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Venganoor and Kottukal panchayats differed significantly with respect
to leadership propensity. The respondents of Venganoor panchayat had high
level of leadership propensity as compared to those in Kottukal panchayat.
Venganoor and Kottukal panchayats differed significantly with respect
to perceived effectiveness. The respondents in Venganoor panchayat

perceived the gramasabhas as highly effective in planning and implementing
agricultural development progarammes.
There was no significant difference among Venganoor, Vizhinjam,
Athiyanoor and Kottukal panchayats with respect to attitude and perception
about the gramasabhas.
The officials and the people's representatives exhibited non-
significant relationship regarding the perceived effectiveness of gramasabhas
in planning and implementing agricultural development programmes. .
As far as attitude towards gramasabhas is concerned, the officials and
the people's representatives differed significantly. It was observed that the
people's representatives had a more favourable attitude towards gramasabhas
than the officials.
Significant difference was observed between the officials and the
people's representatives regarding the perception about the functioning of
gramasabhas. As compared to officials, people's representatives possessed a
better perception about the functioning of gramasabhas.
Lack of active group discussions was perceived as the most important
constraint by the farmers, officials and people's representatives.