Followers

Sep 28, 2014

[Economics] Poverty Removal Schemes

Poverty Removal Schemes:
(1) MNREGA
Livelihood missions: (2) Rural (Ajiveeka) (3) Urban

Scheme#1: MNREGA Act 2005
·        under Rural Development ministry
·        Promises minimum 100 days of unskilled manual work
·        To each rural household. (not to each person)
·        In a financial year (1st April to 31st March)
·        1/3rd women participation
·        Unemployment allowance, if you can’t get work within 15 days
·        State governments have to appoint district level ombudsman to hear complaints
·        Wages: Material ratio = 60:40

MNREGA Wages are linked with CPI inflation for Agricultural laborers
Year
MNREGA Wages
2006
65
2013
132

MNREGA Performance:
 For the year 2013, average work days is 46 and the women participation is 52.9%


Best
Worst
Workdays
1. Tamil Nadu
Assam
2. Kerala
Punjab
Women participation
1. Kerala
Uttar Pradesh
2. Andhra Pradesh
Assam

MNREGA Reforms:
Ø     Individual bank/PO accounts for All women
Ø     Widowed, deserted, and destitute women identified and covered under MNREGA scheme.
Ø     Designed “schedule of rates (SoR)” for physically handicapped laborers, so they get fair wages despite providing less output.
Ø     Provided convergence with other schemes such as Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan, Panchayat Yuva khel Kendra, ICDS Anganwadi centres etc.

MNREGA: Economic Survey Observations
§        MNREGA was supposed to a “panchayat-centric and demand driven” program. But ground reality is different.
§        Gram Sabha is unaware of its powers. Social audits not done regularly.
§        Hardly any Gram Sabha using MNREGA for public works such as Playground, Anganwadi etc.
§        Shortage of Technical staff => Delay in work measurement => delay in payment.
§        At many places, males find higher wage-work in nearby towns. Therefore only a few women come at MNREGA site. Big projects cannot be taken up due to worker shortage.
§        Suggested reform: Use MNREGA for tourism related infrastructure.
§        Budget 2014: promised to use MNREGA for creating Agriculture related “more productive” assets.

NRLM / Aajeevika:
·        By Rural Development Ministry
·        1999: Swarnjayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana (SGSY). Later renamed to National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM). Finally renamed to Aajeevika.
·        Wants to lift rural families from abject poverty
·        By 2024, get one person (preferably woman) from each household, into an income generating Self-help groups (SHG).
·        By Giving (Bank loans + subsidy + training) to those SHG.
·        Economic Survey observation:
·        Scheme worked fine for agarbatti, pottery, tailoring and other small business activities.
·        But at some places, Government made too much infrastructure investment compared to scope of the given business activity.

Aajiveeka – Budget 2014:

Under Aajiveeka, Women-SHG in backward districts get loans at cheaper interest rate.
Budget 2014 increased the number of backward districts under this scheme.

Loan Interest Rate
Before 2014
After
4%
In 150 most backward district
+ 100 more added = 250
7%
Remaining districts
Interest Rate unchanged (7%)

Additionally, Budget 2014 also announced “Start Up Village Entrepreneurship Programme” for rural youth. But exact details yet to be worked out.

NULM

·        By the Ministry of Housing & Urban poverty alleviation
·        Earlier called Swarnajayanti Sahari Swarojgar Yojana. Then renamed into National urban livelihoods mission, with following features
·        self-help groups: bank credit + subsidies + skill training
·        street vendors also get easy loans and skill training
·        Shelters for the homeless.

========================================================


No comments:

Post a Comment