Higher unemployment and low income in the rural areas results in low purchasing power of the rural people, ultimately affecting their quality of life. The government has launched several schemes to generate employment especially in the rural areas. In this respect, discuss any six such schemes.
Following are the description of such schemes
(i) National Rural 'Employment Programme (NREP) It was launched in 1980. The programme was expected to generate additional gainful employment in the rural areas to the extent of 300-400 million man days per annum. It also creates durable community assets thereby improving nutritional status and living standard of people.
(ii) Jawahar Rozgar Yojana (JRY) It was launched in 1989. This programme aims to alleviate poverty through creating supplementary employment opportunities for rural poor during agriculture recess period.
(iii) Employment Assurance Scheme (EAS) It was launched in 1993 to provide employment during lean agricultural season. The primary objective of EAS is to create additional wage employment opportunities during the period of acute shortage of wage employment through manual work for the rural poor living below the poverty line.
(iv) Jawahar Gram Samridhi Yojana (JGSY) It was launched in 1999 to create demand-driven community village infrastructure including durable assets at the village level and skills to enable the rural poor to increase the opportunities for sustained employment.
(v) Swama Jyanti Gram Swarojgar Yojana This Yojana is come into the picture in the year 1999. It is a holistic package covering all aspects of self employment such as organisation of poor into Self Help Groups, training credit, infrastructure and marketing. A credit-cum-subsidy programme, the beneficiaries under this scheme are called swarojgaris. This scheme is being implemented by the both i.e., Central and State government.
(vi) Prime Minister’s Shram Awards Scheme It was launched in 2012. The objective of this scheme is to recognise the outstanding contributions made by workmen (as defined in the Industrial Dispute Act4947) in organisations both in public and private sector.