A non-official rural development agency took up a rural works programme in Pratappur block of Hazibagh district, Bihar, to create additional irrigation facilities through excavation and construction of tanks and check dams, and to provide wage employment to local unskilled labourers. A schedule of work was prepared on the assumption that half of the 4,000 local landless labourers would be available for wage employment during slack seasons. Although, higher wage rates were offered, the project attracted only 100 to 200 workers per day during the first nine months, despite the fact that the project authorities had made several attempts to attract local labour. The project authorities felt that there were two choices before them: 1) import labour from outside, or b) prolong the completion time of the project by two to three years.