Poverty Eradication Programmes

Below Poverty Line (BPL) : According to the "Task Force on projection of minimum needs and effective consumption demand" appointed by the Planning Commission, a person is BPL if his daily consumption of calories is less than 2400 in Rural Areas and 2100 calories in Urban areas.

• About 22% of total population is BPL in 2004-05 as per NSSOs survey.
• 10th plan target of reduction in poverty ratio to 19.3% by 2007 and 11th plan target is 15% by 2012.
• Poverty eradication is the explicit objective of 5th plan. Dandekar & Rath are the 1st to use energy requirements i.e., calorie intakes as a measure of poverty line. 8th Plan took Rs. 11,000 p.a. as poverty line for 5 member family in rural; for urban, Rs 12,000 p.a.

Poverty Eradication Programmes :

• Indira Awaas Yojana (IAY) (1st Jan 1986) : Construction of houses for the poor free of cost. Now part of Bharat Nirman.
• Swarna Jayanthi Gram Swarojgar Yojana (April 99) : IRDP, MWS, TRYSEM , GKY, DWAKRA, SITRA. These 6 programmes were merged to become this scheme.
• Sampoorna Grameena Rojgar Yojana : Emplt Assurance Scheme and Jawahar Gram Samviddhi Yojana were merged to become this scheme.
• Aims : Providing wage - emplt in rural areas, food security.
• "National Food for Work Programme" (Nov 2004) : This is for wage-emplt and food security to rural poor.
• National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme : NREP and the above 2 programmes i.e., (Sampoorna Grameena Rojgar Yojana and National Food for Work Programme"  were merged to become this programme. 

• 100 Day's guaranteed work in an year.
• Rs 100/- wage per day per person.
• Unskilled manual work in rural areas was launched on 2nd Feb. 2006 at Badlapalli, Ananthapur Dist (Andhra Pradesh) by the P.M. Extended to whole of India from 01-04-08. Budget allotment for 09-10 is Rs 39,100 Cr.
• Swarna Jayanti Shahari Rojgar Yojana (Dec 1997) :  Nehru Rojgar Youjana, Urban Basic Services Programme and PM's integrated Urban Poverty Eradication Programme were merged to become this programme.
• This is for self-emplt for Urban Unemployed.
• DPAP : Drought Prone Area Programme was launched in 1973-74.
• Desert Devt. Programme : Launched in 1977-78.
• Integrated Wasteland Programme : Launched in 1989-90.
• Valmiki Ambedkar Awas Youjana (Dec 2001) : Construction of dwelling Units for the slum dwellers and community Toilets.
• It is merged in Integrated Housing & Slum Development Programme on 3rd Dec 2005.
• Antyodaya Anna Yojana (25th December 2000) :  For the "Poorest of the Poor." 
• 30 Kg of Rice / Wheat per month per family from Jan 2006.
• 25% of BPL house holds i.e., 2.5 Cr households are covered. Rice @ Rs. 3 per kg and wheat Rs. 2 per Kg.
• Under this, the Govt provides guarantee by law to provide 25 kg of rice / wheat @ Rs. 3 per kg to 6.52 Cr. BPL households.
• The current poverty estimate is 27.5% of population.
• PM Gram Sadak Yojana : Launched in 25-12-2000.
• 100% Centrally Sponsored.
• To provide all-weather road connectivity to all habitations by 10th plan end.
• 2009-10 allocation : Rs 12,000 Cr.
• Annapurna Anna Yojana (2nd October 2000) : For Seniur citizens of more than 65 years, not covered by National old-age pension scheme.
• Food grains 10 kg per month free of cost.
• 100 % centrally sponsored.
• PM's Adarsha Gram Yojana (2009-10) : Rs. 100 Cr for 1000 villiages (SC Population more than 50%).

Some More Important Points :

• "Rajiv Awaas Yojana" is launched to provide affordable houses to slum dwellers and the Urban poor.
• "Indira Awaas Yojana"  is launched to provide housing to Rural Poor.
• The concept of "P-Index was coindec by Amarthya Sen.
• India's per capita food consumption fell to 155 Kg/Year.
• As per planning commission estimate BPL for 2007 : 19.34%
• World Bank's Poverty Line : $ 1.25 per person per day; Asian Devt. Bank's new measure of Poverty : $ 1.35.
• Flagship Schemes of UPA Govt :
• Sarva Siksha Abhiyan
• Midday Meals Scheme
• NREGS
• JNNURM
• National Rural Health Mission.
• Government of India appointed Task Forces under Nandan Nilekani (Chairman, UIIDAI) to work out mechanism to provide direct subsidies on keroscene, LPG and Fertiliser for the Poor.