The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : `Support redefined strategies for poverty eradication'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Sep 07, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

`Support redefined strategies for poverty eradication'

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI, SEPT. 6. The Union Finance Minister, P. Chidambaram, today appealed to political parties and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to support the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government's redefined strategies to end poverty and empower rural people.

Though the below the poverty line population had declined to about 26 per cent, poverty still continued to be ``a blot in the face of India,'' he said.

Despite the fact that several outfits including NGOs were doing dedicated work among the rural poor and organising them to fight against the ``bureaucratic tyranny and oppression'' and the Government was adopting innovative methods to empower rural masses to make their lives better, these efforts could not make much headway.

As many as 300 million people in India, more often than not, did not get enough food, decent work and wages and quality education to their children. But poverty was virtually eradicated in some countries which became independent by the same time India became free, Mr. Chidambaram said, releasing a book, ``India Untouched-The forgotten face of rural poverty'' here.

Intervention question

Though political parties were familiar with the problem of poverty, the question was how should they intervene to bring about a significant change in the scenario, Mr. Chidambaram said.

According to him, the strategy adopted during the first 30 years after Independence, was marked by ``heavy-handed intervention of the state.'' Under this model, the state raised capital, built enterprises, regulated market and provided social services. This caused ``colossal damage,'' destroying every spirit of enterprising initiative and the sense of responsibility in villages, he said. The country had to pay a heavy price in terms of GDP (gross domestic product) and per capita income.

Shifting gear

When the Government realised the gravity of the situation, it decided to shift gear during 1991, despite stiff resistance. However, the party, which introduced the reforms, lost the elections in 1996.

``Again this year, we are trying to shift the gears by focussing on rural India,'' Mr. Chidambaram said. Though the Government was making determined efforts this year to channel investment to the agricultural sector, every step in this direction was met with resistance.

``What is worse is during the last 20 to 30 years, powerful vested interests have entrenched themselves to preserve a model which ensured urban-oriented growth.''

`Change models'

The poverty alleviation programmes implemented hitherto had not yielded the intended results, he said stressing the need for replacing them with other models. Institutions such as primary health centres, taluk and municipal hospitals, schools and fair price shops should be handed over to community control, he said. Mr. Chidambaram urged the political parties to allow new experiments. In this connection, Mr. Chidambaram referred to objections raised to the contributory pension scheme and the pilot scheme of food stamps. He accused many State Governments of not devolving powers or transferring Central funds to local bodies.

The Prince of Arcot, Nawab Mohammed Abdul Ali, received the first copy of the book. The former Central Vigilance Commissioner, N. Vittal; the ICICI Bank chairman, N. Vaghul; the former Tripura Chief Secretary, B.S. Raghavan; and the Indian Bank chairman, M.B.N. Rao, commended the author, Abraham M. George, for making a sincere approach to poverty alleviation issues.

Mr. George said the nation should commit itself to eliminating social injustice that arose from caste and gender discrimination, and discard policies and practices which divided people.

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