Etawah Pilot Project (1948)
This project was started in 1948 by Mr. Albert Mayer of USA who came to India as a
warrior at a village called Mahewa in UP. A pilot project for development of Etawah district in
UP was formulated by him with the following objectives.
1. To know the degree of productive and social improvements, through self confidence and
cooperatives;
2. To find how quickly these results could be attained;
3. To know whether the results remain permanent even after the special pressure is withdrawn;
and
4. To assess how far the results were reproductive in other places.
In the project, development officers at various levels were posted. At village level, there
was a ‘multi-purpose' village level worker (VLW) with four or five villages under him. The
entire project was sponsered and funded by the Government of UP.
This programme works were, by and large, similar to earlier projects; introduction of
improved variety seeds, chemical fertilizers, improved implements, plant protection measures,
horticultural development, soil conservation, improved cultural practices and the like. There
were projects in animal husbandry, cooperation, credit provision, marketing and supply,
improvements of roads, water supply, drainage etc. There were adult literacy programmes, tour
for farmers, village leader training camps, mass contact programes, etc.
The project total expenditure was 1.54 million rupees. Of this total expenditure only 1.3
per cent was on grants-in-aid and subsidy. This was very little share. It also did not distribute
materials of any kind at free of cost to the people. The emphasis was
self-help. Advice alone was free.
Initially the work was started in 64 villages. After one year the number of villages
covered by the project went up to 97. In 1951, another 125 villages were included. Finally this
project was merged with the National Extension Service (NES) block.
The most convincing achievement of this project was in agriculture, particularly in wheat
production due to adoption of improved production technologies. This project solved the
problem of unemployment and under-employments. There was 53.3 per cent expenditure on
capital works, which resulted in making available of good roads, and other structures. Success
gained in Etawah could not be maintained after Mayer's departure in 1957.
