Year: 2017 | Month: March | Volume 62 | Issue 1
Poverty Alleviation through Wage Employment: Synergies and Trade-off with Agricultural Productivity
DOI:10.5958/0976-4666.2015.00104.7
Abstract:
Poverty is pronounced deprivation in well-being, and comprises many dimensions. It includes low incomes and the inability to acquire the basic goods and services necessary for survival with dignity (according to World Bank). But according to a recent survey by an Indian government committee constituted to estimate poverty, nearly 38% of India’s population (380 million) is poor. This report is based on new methodology and the figure is 10% higher than the present poverty estimate of 28.5%. The committee headed by S.D. Tendulkar has used a different methodology to reach at the current figure. Such a high incidence of poverty is a matter of concern in view of the fact that poverty eradication has been one of the major objectives of the development planning process. The MNREGA is undoubtedly an innovative piece of legislation that has no parallel programme anywhere in the world. But there are some issues which need emphasis so that the real purpose of the wage employment schemes could be identified. This paper discusses the impact of MNREGA on society in terms of poverty reduction, agricultural production and how MNREGA is affecting the agricultural wage rate as well as cost of cultivation of field crops over the year. This study also tries to prove that there is a relationship between the agricultural crisis (labour crisis) and MNREGA Scheme.
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