Government sponsored programmes of poverty alleviation and employment generation in India: A study of multi-dimensional programmes to combat rural poverty and urban poverty upto eleventh successive five year plans

The economic growth has to go hand in hand with poverty reduction and employment generation to bolster the economy. Over the years, Government had been taking various initiatives to combat the pangs of widespread poverty and unemployment. In the present study an attempt had been made to put together the majority of the Government Programmes which are designed to address the two most disturbing issues present in the socioeconomic fabric of our economy, vizpoverty and unemployment. The government sponsored schemes which are executed by commercial banks are the significant contents of this study. It briefly discusses the problems of population with inadequate increase in employment opportunities. There is a focus on the role of government to strategies the poverty reduction procedure which were effected in several five year plans upto the eleventh five year plan.The major objective of the present study is to study about the implementation of the government sponsored programmes and its impact on reducing poverty and unemployment by creating avenues of generating income. The programmes are formulated and sponsored by Government of India. Such programmes are known as Government Sponsored Schemes. These schemes are implemented through public sector banks, government departments, government agencies, non-government organisations and other financial agencies. In this study, the role of banks in implementing government sponsored schemes to alleviate the problems of poverty and unemployment are highlighted. Such schemes aim to address the issues of poverty and generation of employment both in rural and urban areas. For the execution of these plans, a specific target is assigned to each bank. District Level Plans determines the allocation of targets. The government sponsorship is related to allocation of funds for the respective programmes. The major programmes for poverty alleviation and employment generation under several five year plans were-Pradhan Mantri Gramodaya Yojana (PMGY), Swarnajayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana (SGSY), Sampoorna Gramin Rojgar Yojana (SGRY), Rural Housing Schemes , Prime Minister’s Rojgar Yojana (PMRY), Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), Drought Prone Area Programme (DPAP), Desert Development Programme (DDP), Integrated Wastelands Development Programme (IWDP), Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY), Valmiki Ambedkar Awas Yojana (VAMBAY), National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme (NREGP), Swarna Jayanti Shahri Rozgar Yojana (SJSRY), Jawahar Lal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM), Integrated Rural Development Programme (IRDP), National Rural Employment Programme (NREP), Rural Labour Employment Guarantee Programme (RLEGP), Jawahar Gram Samriddhi Yojana (JGSY) (Formerly known as Jawahar Rozgar Yojana), TRYSEM Scheme, Family planning / welfare programme for population control, Employment Assurance Scheme, Scheme for Rural artisans / craftsmen, DWCRA Programme, Swarna Jayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana, Mahila Samriddhi Yojana, National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP), Group Life Insurance scheme for Rural Areas, Rural Housing Programme, Pradhan Mantri Gramodaya Yojana (PMGY), Swarna Jayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana , Sampoorna Grameen Rozgar Yojana, Agriculture Income Insurance Scheme, Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, etc,. Some government programmes had been popular in terms of catering to the requirements of alleviation of poverty and generation of avenues for income for the identified target groups as beneficiaries. But many programmes got reconstituted or merged, some programmes have lost their sheen. The ideology behind such programmes was to combat unemployment but the problems of poverty and unemployment still persist in huge magnitude in the economy and the attainment of desired goals of these programmes are far from reality. The economy is running in shambles due to the pernicious poverty which had made the vulnerable people to live in destitution. A lot has been done and there is always room to do furthermore, to win this battle ofdeprivation and destitution.