Miscellaneous - This Day That Age

dated February 20, 1953: Value of Community Projects

On the 18th in Madurai in the Tirumalai Nayak Mahal Palace, President Rajendra Prasad, received addresses of welcome by local bodies. In his reply, Dr. Prasad appealed for people's help in implementing the Five-Year Plan and other development schemes. Saying that India had made good progress after Independence, he went on, "Along with our important Five Year Plan, we have started Community Development Projects intended ultimately to benefit the 500 thousand villages of India. We have to look upon the first of these projects as pilot schemes and models to be followed up with others all over the country in course of time. Difficulties are inherent in all situations, and we have a heavy share of them. But unbiased observers — foreigners who have visited us and gone round the country — all tell me that these five years since Independence have been years of good work, and that we are doing well. I feel sometimes they might be making these remarks out of kindness. I know the difficulties, especially in your parts where there is scarcity of food. Over extensive tracts, you have had the misfortune of continuous drought, but we have been able to survive through all these lean years. Not only are we trying to execute big schemes like river valley projects which will bear result after some years and after a great deal of expense; we are also putting through small projects such as sinking new wells, repairing old wells, and excavating old tanks so that quick results may flow from them to augment our food production."

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