Poverty alleviation programmes in India

India is one of the worlds most poorest nations, with majority of the people living under the poverty line. It said to have third of the world's poor in it, which is a very huge number. This poverty is a big hurdle and is a big setback for India in development. Many steps are being taken to try and slowly eradicate this poverty, this gave rise to the poverty alleviation programs. All these programs had different aims and worked in a different way, but their main was to slowly but surely eradicate poverty from India.

The different poverty alleviation programmes

===Swarnajayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojna ( SGSY )=== This program was established and came into effect from 1 April 1999. It had a stronger base keeping in mind the weakness of the other programmes. Its aim and objective was too start different micro enterprises, which could provide sustainable incomes to the people. This programme had a very focused and clear approach to poverty development. It gave importance to the capitalising advantages of group lending. This progamme was started with point of view that the upliftment of the poor laid in their own hands. This bascially means self employment, and organozation of rural poor into self help groups(SHG). This would help create income and help bring the poor above the poverty line.These self help groups could be formed in different areas depending on the resource endowments.The beneficiaries under the SGSY consisted of 50% pecent women, 40% SC's and ST's and 3% percent were disabled.SGSY is basically a credit-cum-subsidy programme, with credit as the main component, more importance given to credit and less to subsidy. Subsidy can be provided under SGSY to the beneficiaries at 50% of the project cost, that is subject to a maximum of 7500 RS. For groups it is 50% that is subject to a maximum of 1 lakh 25 thousand and for SC and ST's it also 50% but subject to a maximum of 10000Rs. Also giving importance to irrigation projects there is no monetary limit.Also as this programme lays emphasis on micro enterprises and for the success of these enterprises good infrastructure is needed, that is why 20 percent of SGSY allocation of every district will be kept aside under SGSY infrastructure fund.(To be noted this is 25% for north eastern states.) As Many as 3.04 lakh Self help groups were formed in India with the assistance of this programme. The allocation for this programme was 1467.73crore RS. In its first year, 19992000,an expenditure of 804.3 crore Rs had incurred under this programme.

Jawhar Gram Samridhi Yojna(JGSY)

This programme was earlier called jawhar rozgar yojna. Its name then got changed to Jawhar Gram Samridhi Yojna.It was started on 1 April 1999. The main aim of this programme was development of rural infrastructure. Belief that good rural infrastructure would give rise to many opportunities through which poor rural people could benefit and improve their condition. Infrastructure like roads to connect the village to different area, which made the village more accessible and also other social, educational(schools) and infrastructure like hospitals. Its

secondary objective was to give out sustained wage employment. This was only given out BPL (bellow the poverty line)families. 22.5% of the allocation under JGSY was to be spent for individual beneficiary schemes for SCs and ST's and 3% for establishment of barrier free infrastructure for the disabled people.The village panchayats were one of the main governing body of this programme. There it did not feel like an outsider was controlling it, the village panchayats were a part of the people and understood their needs. They were in charge of the monitoring,controlling and supervision of the programme at the village.They had the power and authority to excute schemes up to Rs. 50,000. The only high authority was the Gram Sabha who had to approve the action plan created by the village panchayats. The village panchayats were given the power to spend 7.5% of the fund or Rs 7500, whichever was less for administrative costs and technical consultancy cost also they could use 15%of the fund for maintenance of public assets under their jurisdiction.The total allocation or fund was 2209.24 crore Rs, during 1999-2000 1841.80 crore was used and they had a target of 8.57 lakh works, 5.07 lakh works were completed during 1999-2000.
[edit]Employment

Assurance Scheme(EAS)

This scheme was started on 1 October 1993. It was first started in 1772 backward areas in 257 districts. The revamped public distribution system was in operation here. It was later expanded to all the 5448 rural blocks of the country. The employment assurance scheme was later renamed or reconstructured in 1999-2000 to the single wage employment programme. The main objective was to create wage employment opportunities through manual work for the people in the rural area living bellow the poverty line in the time of acute shortage of wage employment. The other objective is creation of durable community and social and economic for sustained employment and development of the poor. This scheme is available all the poor and needy people living bellow the poverty line who cannot help themselves. Although preference is given to SC and STs and also to parents of children those who have just been saved from child labour and from hazardous working conditions who are bellow the poverty line.Also only 2 adults of the family are given wage employment.This progamme is carried out and implemented through zilla parishads and in those states where zilla parishads are not there, it is implemented through DRDA's. The zilla parishads finalize all the works in their jurisdiction which is approved my the MP's(members of parliament)The zliia parisahds are allowed to spend 15% of the funds for the maintenance of the assets formed and created under this scheme. During 1999 and 2000 they had an target of 4091.63 mandays, 2566.39 lakh mandays were created and the total allocation of funds during that year was 2431.46 crore and the amount that was used was Rs 1998.26 crore.
[edit]National

Social Assistance Programme(NSAP)

This scheme was started on the 15th of August 1995. This scheme was 100% centrally sponsored. Its main aim was to provide social help to poor families if the death of the earning member of the family occurred and maternity or old age. This programme tried to ensure that everyone was had a minimum level of well being and that no was suffering. This programme consisted of 3 more compones or schemes, namely, 1)National Old

Age Pension Scheme(NOAPS) 2)National Family Benefit Scheme(NFBS) and 3)National Maternity Benefit Scheme.
[edit]National

Old Age Pension Scehme(NOAPS)

As the name suggest this scheme provided pension to old people who were above the age of 65 who could not fend for them selves and did not have any means of substinence. The pension that was given was Rs 200 a month. This pension is given by the central government. The job of implementation of this scheme in states and union territories is given to panchayats and municipalities. The states contribution may very depending on the state.
[edit]National

Family Benefit Scheme(NFBS)

This scheme was started in August 1995 by GOI. This scheme is sponsored by the state government. It was transferred to the state sector scheme after 2002-03. It is under the community and rural department.This scheme provides a sum of 10000Rs to a person of a family who become the head of the family after the death of its primary breadwinner. A breadwinner is a person who is above 18 who earns the most for the family and the family survives on his/her earnings. It is for families below the poverty line.
[edit]National

Maternity Benefit Scheme

This scheme provides a sum of 500 Rs to a pregnant mother for the first two live births. The women have to be older than 19 years of age. It is given normally 128 weeks before the birth and in case of the death of the child the women can still avail it. The NSAP is implemented by states and union territories with the help of panchayats and municipalities. During 19992000 the total allocation of funds for this scheme was 767.05 crores and the amount used was Rs 596.99 crores.

ANNAPURNA
This scheme was started by the government inn 1999-2000 to provide food to senior citizens who cannot take care of themselves and are not under the targeted public distribution system(TPDS), and who have no one to take care of them in their village. This scheme would provide 10 kg of free food grains a month for the eligible senior citizens. The allocation for this scheme as off 2000-01 was Rs 100 crore.

Integrated Rural Development programme

This programme was started in 1978 and it later merged with Swarna Jayanti Gram Swaorzgar Yojana in 1999.

Rural Housing-Indira Awaas Yojana(IAY)

This scheme aimed at creating housing for everyone. It aimed at creating 20 lakh housing units out of which 13lakhs were in rural area.This scheme also would give out loans to people at subsidized rates to make houses

.It was started in 1999-2000. In in 1999-2000 1438.39 crore Rs was used for this scheme and about 7.98 lakh units were built. In 2000-01 an central outlay of 1710.00 crores Rs was provided for this scheme.