Impact of government sponsored programmes on economic status of the depressed classes – A case study

Upliftment of depressed classes is a human right issue. Depressed classes should be equipped with all the necessary rights, and then to make depressed classes conscious about their rights and also to the use of their rights. Empowerment of depressed classes means ‘National Development’. National Development means maximum production, full employment and attainment of economic equality and social justice applies equally to men and women. Eradication of poverty has been the overriding objective since the beginning of economic planning in India. Eradication of poverty through overall economic and social development by ensuring equitable access in resources and skills, as well as by widening the opportunities for gainful employment to the deprived sections of the society, is enunciated as the principal objective of all the rural development programmes initiated by the government. It has assumed significance more so in the context of ongoing economic reforms due to the apprehensions that the short-run impact of reforms may not be favourable for the eradication of poverty. It is known that economic growth alone is not sufficient to reduce poverty and there is a need for direct State intervention for poverty eradication. A number of rural development schemes and programmes have been formulated and implemented from time to time as measures to attack rural poverty. An attempt is made in this paper to analyse the impact of the government sponsored programmes on economic status of the depressed classes in Bellary district of Karnataka State.