Spatial distribution of infrastructural facilities and regional inequality: A case study of West Bengal, India

The development process often produces spatial inequality among different regions. As a result of this some regions may appear to have more than their average share of some facility and this evident in developing countries where the urban centres usually have concentration of essential goods and services compare to the rural counterparts. This research paper is an attempt to examine the spatial disparities in infrastructural facilities in different Districts of Indian state of West Bengal and intern analysis its impact on regional development. A simple multivariate method has been followed to compute a composite Infrastructure Development Index (IDI) by combined various Infrastructural Services available at the District level. Empirical evidence suggests that there is a positive relationship between Infrastructural Development Index and Per Capita Income and negative relationship between Infrastructural Development Index and Poverty. However, an effort should be made to create more infrastructural facilities at the district level to raise the state domestic product and reduce the level of poverty of the people concern.