Linkages between Dispersed Urbanisation and Rural Industrialisation: A Case Study from West Bengal

In some poor parts of the world, rural areas are known as pastoral folk; for their heavily dependence on agricultural activities; and for having poor infrastructure, limited employment opportunities and low levels of income, among others. On the other hand, the few primate cities are known as the hub of non-agricultural activities, better infrastructure, better institutional environment, greater employment opportunities (for the skilled labour) and higher levels of income. To minimize this gap, urban amenities should be taken to rural areas by adopting a policy of dispersed urbanisation. For that, the whole rural area does not need to be transformed into urban area but it requires to be well connected with the nearest small urban centres which do also need to be supported with proper amenities. The higher degree of rural-urban interaction helps rural economic diversification process to set in motion and thereby develops healthy rural settings with urban ambience. This study examines these propositions, focusing on the state of West Bengal in India. The traditional sector i.e. agriculture is already burdened with overemployment in many parts of West Bengal. Rural non-farm sector as a source of generation of new employment opportunities has been conceptualized by many scholars to be of immense importance.