Performance and potential of gramasabhas in crop production in Athiyanoor block of Thiruvananthapuram district

Abstract

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. 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.