Poverty alleviation schemes and their effectiveness

[Aarushi]

The objective of this project is to review the allocation and utilisation of Central funds to the various states under Poverty alleviation schemes from 2001 to 2010 and analyse efficiency, accountability and transparency of these schemes.

Eradication of extreme poverty by 2015 is one of the eight millenium development goals. A number of poverty alleviation schemes like the MGNREGA, Swaranjayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojna and the Jawahar Gram Swarozgar Yojna have been implemented in the recent years to help achieve this goal. These schemes have been allocated amounts that have not been efficiently utilised in helping the poor. The few reasons seen are Corruption, leakages, misappropriation of funds, violation of programme guidelines, selection of the non-poor as target group, absence of proper maintenance of accounts and poor quality of assets.

Please feel free to mention any other reasons that you think which lead to inefficiency.

Also if u could think of any measures to produce transparency and feedback mechanisms?

Aarushi

[pranay]

I think E-governance can be used to measure the amount of work done through these schemes. There has to be a well defined e-governance system at the centre, state and district level.A district system should have data of all the villages covered in the scheme, the names of all the beneficiaries of the scheme(villagers, contractors etc.) which i think wont be difficult in a year or two as the UID project will be come up. By this tracking of funds at a micro level would be easier. Also, with the fear that transparency of the system is increased and account of every penny spent at the smallest level is uploaded on the site, corruption practices will go down, a systematic plan will be made for allocation of funds in various domains in the villages and the finally the workers will be paid with exact wages.