The growing rural-urban interdependence: Opportunities for socio- economic development in Bhojpur, Bihar

The dichotomy between rural and urban areas often masks the deep interdependence that exists between them. Rural area relies on urban area for markets, services, technology, infrastructure, better employment, quality education, health facilities and finished good etc. Similarly urban area is depending on rural area for food, labour, natural resources, ecological services, agricultural and industrial product, cheap manual labour, cheap land, row material and many more. The classical, two sector growth model of Prof. W A Levis Lewis (1954) and many more study clearly set up the importance rural-urban interdependency. This paper explores the multifaceted nature of rural-urban interdependence, analysing the socio-economic and infrastructural linkages that fix these two spaces. This study will help to analyse the growing rural and urban interdependence in Bhojpur district of Bihar. This study also highlights how rural and urban areas specially a small urban area supports each other through flows of goods, services, labour, capital, and knowledge. It further discusses the implications of these linkages for regional development. It is well recognised fact that the interdependency of rural and urban areas creates regional development but till now, the regional development because rural-urban interdependency of the small city such as Arra town is not very clear. This paper will have an objective to analyse the impact of rural urban interdependency on regional development. This paper will also analyse Opportunities and challenges for socio- economic development in Bhojpur, Bihar.