Rural Income Distribution in Pakistan in the Green Revolution Perspective

Abstract

Relatively higher income disparities are regarded as the characteristic phenomenon of the less developed countries and as a rule, the income concen¬tration increases with economic growth during early stages of development [ll,p.25]. In general, the more rapid the growth during early stages, the more intense the development of income inequality. The underlying reasons for this development are two. First, the development-conscious governments of the less developed countries, in order to raise investment, allow income dis¬parities to widen. Second, the resource mobilization policies often lag behind and fail to cope with the continuing growth process and the resources tend to concentrate among resource owners. Since spectacular growth in Pakistan has been experienced under the green revolution, it was thought that the green revolution might lead to magnification of income inequalities in rural West Pakistan. Falcon [5,Pp, 698-710] remarks that the green revolution might generate unprecedented income inequalities among the rural classes. Gotsch [6, p. 28] argues that since the green revolution technologies (e.g., tractors, tubewells, seed and fertilizer) were concentrated in the hands of a few well-to-do farmers, there was a strong tendency for the income inequality to increase. Nigar Ahmad [1, pp.3-4] Rafiq Ahmad [2, pp.5-6] and Dilawar Ali Khan [9, pp.62-83] also hold that the impact of the green revolution technology has been biased in favour of the large land owners.