Intensive Agricultural Area Programme (IAAP-1964)
During the third five year plan 30 per cent increase in food grain production wasachieved through IADP. The intensive promotion of agriculture was very popular among policymakers and administrators. As a result of this a revised version of IADP with less intensive and
therefore less costly programme was formulated and launched in selected blocks of 150 districts.
It was named as IAAP. The selected blocks were to have the same physical conditions as in the
case of selection of districts for IADP. Under this programme 20 to 25 per cent of the cultivated
area of the country was brought ujnder the intensive agricultural development.
Implementation of IAAP was accepted by Agricultural Production Board and came into
operation in March 1964. This programme also followed the package approaches of use of
improved methods. The uses of interrelated factors of physical, social and institutional were also
followed in a strategic combination mainly to produce an impact on agricultural production. Th
management of these programmes did not function as envisaged. There were many weaknesses
of deficiency in inter-agency and inter-personal coordination, inadequate staff motivation,
malpractices, non-formulation of local production plans on proper lines and delay in delivery of
inputs to farmers. However, the production and productivity were modest. The highly adverse
conditions (droughts) during 1966-68 served as a big blow. The foodgrains output was still
insufficient to meet the rising domestic demands. Imports were also continued to supplement the
local production.
