Dennie Quill, Contributor

They say no news is good news. Lately, the news in Jamaica is becoming more and more depressing. I am particularly concerned about the growing pressure on rural communities because of the deteriorating state of social, economic and environmental quality of life.

News reports typically feature violence, infrastructure challenges including poor roads and broken-down bridges, unreliable transportation, dilapidated public buildings including post offices and police stations, and health concerns such as dengue, malaria and leptospirosis - misery found in community after community.

It is hard to accept that in 2007, residents of a community are forced to dig a track for their children to attend school as in the case of Juan de Bolas All-Age, in St. Catherine. The roadway broke away after Hurricane Dean and it was heart-rending to see a teacher's bloodied knee after she had tumbled on the track.

So far, the authorities have done nothing, so the headmaster has appealed for parents to come out and dig a trail so their children can return to school.

One has to conclude that the majority of Jamaicans are living in areas of socioeconomic disadvantage which impacts significantly on their ability to provide for their daily needs and to be productive members of society. While policy makers concentrate on developing super highways-cum-death traps, they have totally ignored rural roads to take farmers' produce from their fields.

Hoping for a new day

A way has to be found to redress the urban-rural imbalance in the delivery of services and the distribution of resources.

People mired in these circumstances had been hoping for a new day. Many anticipated positive action, thinking that Government would immediately plough resources into basic rural services. But that's not happening.

For example, a post mistress in the hills of St. Catherine is forced to use an umbrella to shelter from rains because the structure is roofless after sustaining damage from Hurricane Gilbert - that is 19 years ago - and lately, Hurricane Dean.

The long-suffering post mistress says she has to take home important mail for fear of exposing them when it rains. "People will murmur," she added. Perhaps one day they will do more than murmur.

What are Members of Parliament doing? There is an urgent need for every Member of Parliament to identify challenges that need to be tackled in his/her constituency in a bid to improve the quality of life and the delivery of social services.

I recall Prime Minister Bruce Golding speaking of a plan for MPs to deliver a development strategy for their constituencies in order to access government funds. Apparently, that project has not yet picked up steam.

It takes no magic to understand that accelerating rural development is one of the surest ways to reduce poverty.

This development must include agricultural development as well as income-generating projects outside of agriculture, including trade, services, transportation and handicraft.

Incentives

Policy makers need to offer incentives and strengthen institutions, including educational facilities, so that rural development is placed on a fast track.

There is no easy solution to a problem that has daunted the nation for years. The public, private and voluntary sectors working along with the communities must find solutions to the growing decay of rural Jamaica.

It was announced earlier this week that come January 2008, property taxes will be placed in the hands of the parish councils. This is in keeping with the government's strategy to place more responsibility in the hands of the local authorities, the report stated. Well, I am holding my applause until I see exactly how this money will be managed.

But it is a step in the right direction. Along with the new source of revenue, parish councils would now be responsible for housing the indigent, infrastructure, minor water supplies, markets, sanitary conveniences, parks and gardens, emergency and disaster relief, hotel and trade licences and day-care facilities.

Rural development requires that central and local authorities work in tandem in order to address the environmental, social and economic well-being of all communities. The likely social and economic consequences of neglecting rural communities is sobering. I believe it was Confucius who said, "Happy communities make happy nations."