Growth pole theory
Also called: Growth centre approach · Topic: Regional Planning and Sustainable Development in India · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
Growth pole theory is an idea put forward by the economist Francois Perroux in the 1950s. It says growth does not happen evenly everywhere. It gathers around "propulsive" (leading) industries at a few points, called growth poles. From there, the benefits should spread, or "trickle down", to the region around them. In India the idea shaped planned steel towns, industrial estates and growth centres. But the spread was weak. Instead there was often backwash: the centre pulled people and money away from the countryside around it.
Example
Bhilai (Chhattisgarh), Bokaro (Jharkhand), Rourkela (Odisha) and Durgapur (West Bengal) were built as planned steel towns. They grew fast. The tribal hinterland around them, such as parts of the mineral-rich Chota Nagpur belt, stayed largely backward.
Don't confuse with
- Target area planning: it sends development straight into backward places, such as drought-prone or hill districts. Growth pole theory puts money into a few strong centres and waits for the growth to spread outward.