CESS

Rural Development and Poverty - CESS is known for its expertise on poverty studies. That is still continuing. District level poverty ratios and other analysis-Completed

Poverty Alleviation Programs in Andhra Pradesh - An Assessment:

Project Team	:	S.Mahendra Dev and P.Padmanabha Rao
Sponsored by	:	The Planning Commission, Government of India.

Study sampling

Macro level analysis revealed that the percentage of poor people covered under IRDP was very low (1.26 percent) in 1995-96. It increased in 1996-97 but declined later. The percentage of poor people covered was 2.84 percent under SGSY and around 1 percent in DWCRA. The coverage under NOAP is 35.58 percent in 1995-96 and 94 percent in 1999-2000.

Integrated Rural Development Programme (IRDP):

The assessment study indicated that the beneficiaries under IRDP mainly constituted small and marginal farmers. Agricultural labour have benefited mainly from animal husbandry (self employment). Under ISB, SCs have received major benefits which shows that self employment is created for the poor. Labour market is affected only when assets provided to the beneficiaries are sustained. In the present study, retention of assets is high in the case of agricultural and minor irrigation assets and is higher among small & marginal farmers and STs & BCs . Lesser retention of assets in ISB sector showed their non-preference for self employment. Retention of assets also depends on the development of the region.

Development of Women and Children in Rural Areas (DWCRA):

Women thrift and credit groups are homogenous and cohesive (i.e., based on income, caste and neighbourhood). 22% of the members belonged to SC, 11% to ST, 67% to BC and the remaining 4%from other categories. For 60% of the groups, saving was the main purpose of group formation. Majority (94%) of groups showed no defaulters in previous 3 months. An active participation was evidenced in pulse polio immunisation (30%) and Janmabhoomi (80%) programmes. Gradual shift from consumption loans (40%) to productive loans (60%) was observed. 61% would have gone to moneylenders had there been no WSHG, whereas 7.5% of the members would not have started the activity had there been no WSHG.

Jawahar Rozgar Yojana (JRY):

Under JRY, employment generated per person on an average per year was around 40 days across the sample villages of selected districts. The works executed under JRY were found to be helpful in bridging the gap relating to infrastructure. Some of the assets created under JRY were in bad shape due to lack of proper maintenance. The employment created was not adequate enough to influence the wage rates in labour market. The socio-economic background of the participants indicated that the poorer sections of the society were depending on JRY works.

Indira Awas Yojana (IAY):

The study revealed that 32% of eligible households were covered under IAY in the sample villages. It ranged from 96% among SCs to 7.8% in the case of other castes. 20% of the poor who are beneficiaries of the anti-poverty programmes benefited under IAY. Facilities related to housing, viz., side drains , individual sanitation electricity connection and protected water supply were provided.