MGNREGP and Livelihoods of SCS and STS with Special Reference to Villupuram and Salem Districts of Tamil Nadu, India

Abstract

Livelihood is an essential condition for self-sustaining growth. Improvement of weaker communities has consistently been one of the major objectives of India’s five year plans. According to 2011 census, India crossed the one billion population mark and now stands at 1.2 billion. It is however sad that even after 66 years of Independence, the world’s largest number of poor resides in India. India is home to almost 1/3rd of the world’s population and it is estimated that 28% of the total population of the country live below the Poverty Line (BPL), of which 75% are said to be in the rural areas. This being a matter of serious concern, the creation of employment opportunities for the unskilled labour force and ensuring food security has been an important objectives of developmental planning in India. The wage employment programmes have been an important component of the antipoverty strategy of the Govt. of India which has sought to achieve multiple objectives. The programmes provide employment opportunities during lean agricultural seasons as well as in times of floods, drought and other natural calamities. The MGNREGP is the largest in a series of generally undistinguished rural wage employment programme that the Govt. of India has implemented. This study attempts to examine the impact of MGNREGP on the rural livelihoods in two districts of Tamil Nadu.