What are anti poverty measures? What are the different ant poverty program promoted by the government.
Answers
1. Integrated Rural Development Programme:
The Integrated Rural Development Programme (IRDP), which was introduced in 1978-79 and universalized from 2nd October, 1980, aimed at providing assistance to the rural poor in the form of subsidy and bank credit for productive employment opportunities through successive plan periods.
In order to take care of the specific needs of the rural population, sub-programmes of IRDP such as Training for Rural Youth for Self-Employment (TRYSEM), Development of Women and Children in Rural Areas (DWCRA), Supply of Improved Toolkits to Rural Artisans (SITRA), and Ganga Kalyan Yojana (GKY) were introduced. These schemes were, however, implemented as ‘stand-alone programmes’, an approach, which substantially detracted from their effectiveness.
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On 1st April, 1999, the IRDP and allied programmes were merged into a single programme known as Swarnajayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana (SGSY). The SGSY emphasizes on organizing the rural poor into self-help groups, capacity-building, planning of activity clusters, infrastructure support, technology, credit and marketing linkages.
2. Jawahar Rozgar Yojana/Jawahar Gram Samriddhi Yojana:
Under the Wage Employment Programmes, the National Rural Employment Programme (NREP) and Rural Landless Employment Guarantee Programme (RLEGP) were started in sixth and seventh plans. The NREP and RLEGP were merged in April 1989, under Jawahar Rozgar Yojana (JRY). The JRY was meant to generate meaningful employment opportunities for the unemployed and underemployed in rural areas through the creation of economic infrastructure and community and social assets.
Employment generation progressively declined over the years, partly, due to lower central allocations in Ninth Plan and partly due to the increasing cost of creating employment. The JRY was revamped from 1st April, 1999, as Jawahar Gram Samriddhi Yojana (JGSY). It now became a programme for the creation of rural economic infrastructure with employment generation as the secondary objective.
3. Employment Assurance Scheme:
The Employment Assurance Scheme (EAS) was launched on 2nd October, 1993, covering 1,778 drought-prone, desert, tribal and hill area blocks. It was later extended to all the blocks in 1997-98. The EAS was designed to provide employment in the form of manual work in the lean of agricultural season. The works taken up under the programme were expected to lead to the creation of durable economic and social infrastructure and address the needs of people.
4. Food for Work Programme:
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The Food for Work Programme was started in 2000-01 as a component of EAS. It was first launched in eighth drought-affected states of Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Uttaranchal. It aims at enhancing food security through wage employment. Food grains are supplied to states free of cost, however, the supply of food grains from the Food Corporation of India (FCI) godowns has been slow.
5. Sampoorna Gramin Rozgar Yojana:
The JGSY, EAS and Food for Work Programme were revamped and merged under the new Sampoorna Gramin Rozgar Yojana (SGRY) Scheme from 1st September, 2001. The main objective of the scheme continues to be the generation of wage employment, creation of durable economic infrastructure in rural areas and provision of food and nutrition security for the poor.
6. Rural Housing – Indira Awaas Yojana:
The Indira Awaas Yojana (LAY) programme aims at providing free housing to Below Poverty Line (BPL) famiUes in rural areas and main targets would be the households of SC/STs. It was first merged with the Jawahar Rozgar Yojana (JRY) in 1989 and in 1996, it broke away from JRY into a separate housing scheme for the rural poor. The Ninth Plan Housing Programme under lAY was framed in the light of National Housing and Habitat Policy 1998, which aimed at providing shelter for all in rural areas by the end of the Plan period. Inspite of high allocations by the central and state governments, the housing programme under LAY has not achieved the stated objectives.
The Housing and Urban Development Corporation (HUDCO) has extended its activities to the rural areas, by providing loans at concessional rate of interests for low-income groups and economically weaker sections for the construction of houses. HUDCO’s housing programme was given major importance in the Ninth Plan.
Removal of poverty has been the biggest challenge in India. The Indian government is dealing the same with two methods – by promoting economic growth and by anti-poverty programmes.
The major anti-poverty programmes suggested by the Govt. of India are as follows:
1. Integrated Rural Development Programme:
It was introduced in the year 1978-79 and universalized from 2nd October, 1980. The main aim is to provide support to the rural poor in the form of subsidy and bank credit for productive work opportunities through successive plan periods.
2. Jawahar Rozgar Yojana /Jawahar Gram Samriddhi Yojana (JGSY):
Two new schemes, namely, National Rural Employment Programme (NREP) and Rural Landless Employment Guarantee Programme (RLEGP) were merged in the year1989, under Jawahar Rozgar Yojana (JRY). The purpose was to generate good work prospects for the unemployed in rural areas by creating economic infrastructure, community and social assets. From the year 1999, this old scheme started again with a new name as Jawahar Gram Samriddhi Yojana (JGSY), mainly for rural economic infrastructure programme with the purpose of employ¬ment generation.
3. Employment Assurance Scheme:
This scheme was launched in the year 1993. It mainly covers drought-prone, desert, tribal and hill area blocks. In the year1997-98, it extended to several other blocks. Employment assurance scheme was planned for creating employment opportunity in the form of manual work when there is no agricultural season. It was expected to lead to the creation of robust economic and social infrastruc¬ture and address the needs of people.
4. Food for Work Programme:
In the year 2000, the Food for Work Programme was started as a component of EAS. It started with some major drought-affected states, namely Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Orrisa, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Uttaranchal and Chhattisgarh. The main aim is to enhance food security through wage employment.
5. Sampoorna Gramin Rozgar Yojana:
The new Sampoorna Gramin Rozgar Yojana (SGRY) Scheme started in 2001 was the mix of old JGSY, EAS and Food for Work Programme. The primary aim of the scheme was the generation of wage employment, creation of good economic infrastructure in rural areas as well as food provision and nutrition security for the underdeveloped.
6. Rural Housing – Pradhan Mantri Gramin Awaas Yojana (PMGAY):
PMGAY is a government flagship programme, created for providing housing for the Indian rural poor. A similar scheme for urban poor was launched in 2015 as Housing for All. For BPL population, similar program was launched by late PM Rajiv Gandhi, known as Indira Awaas Yojana which was one of the major flagship programs.
7. National Old Age Pension Scheme (NOAPS):
NOAPS came into effect from the year 1995. Providing pension to old people above now 60, who does not have any means of subsistence is the main aim of this project. It is provided by the central government. Implementation of this scheme in places is given to panchayats and municipalities.
8. National Family Benefit Scheme (NFBS):
NFBS was started in the year 1995 and is sponsored state governments, under community and rural department. They provide certain amount to a member of family who becomes the head of the family after the death of its primary breadwinner.
9. National Maternity Benefit Scheme :
NMBS provides certain amount grant mother in three instalments. The women must be older than 19 years. It is normally provided eighth to twelfth weeks before the birth of child. And in case of the death of the child, the women can still avail it.