Poverty and Unemployment

Our only response to poverty alleviation and employment generation has been schemes and more schemes from central and state governments. This year, Government of India has allocated Rs 51,000 crores to be spent for alleviating poverty through various schemes. According to CAG, most of this money is spent through a maze of NGOs and Government agencies. Besides, this Rs 51,000 crores was spread over 8 schemes, as if all the problems of the people of this country could be encapsulated into these 8 issues. The country is so diverse. People are so diverse. Their problems are also very diverse. The resources available locally to deal with these problems are also very diverse. When schemes are made centrally, they do not take into account what resources might be available locally.

By the time, money reaches a slum or a village, most of it is already wasted in administrative expenses. Information obtained under Right to Information revealed that money meant to improve sanitation in villages under a particular scheme was spent only on cars, telephones and other facilities of district authorities of a particular district.

Won’t it be better to just send this entire sum of money directly to each village and let them make their own schemes according to their own needs? Let the people decide how to spend this money. Let each village make a list of those who sleep hungry and who do not have a home. This money may be used to provide temporary relief to such people in the form of food and shelter. Rather than giving them free material, they may be asked to work for some panchayat work and receive food and shelter in return. Besides, the Gram Sabha may make special efforts to provide some employment to such people.

Though NREGA is an excellent program, it is too centralized. People do not get wages for months together. Because the payment has to come from the BDO. Why can’t the payment be done in open meeting of Gram Sabha before everyone?

NREGA creates employment only in the government sector. If adequate and untied funds were directly made available to Gram Sabhas, they may decide to provide small loans to people to start small enterprises. The Gram Sabha may even decide to start a small industry in the cooperative sector, which may depend upon local raw material. They may need to be provided with technical support, which should be the job of State Government.

Schemes coming from the top have made beggars out of citizens. In villages and slums, everyone looks upon the Government to provide them something free of cost. This mentality needs to be changed for good. Let every citizen become a part of the decision making and planning exercise and share the responsibility.