To supplement the wage employment and to provide alternative avenues for further augmenting the economic conditions of rural poor, assisting the rural poor in self employment by encouraging group and cluster activities, providing skill development opportunities, credit linkages and subsidies and creation of marketing opportunities for products has been another major plank of the Poverty alleviation schemes of the Government.
Launched on 1st April 1999, Swaranjayanti Gram Swarojgar Yojana (SGSY) is an integrated scheme for providing opportunities of self employment to the rural poor. The assisted families (Swarojgaris) may be individuals or Groups (Self Help Groups).
Indira Awaas Yojana (IAY)
Shelter is one of the basic human requirements for survival and dignity. One of the pressing tasks facing the government is to find out ways and means to cope up with the problems of housing shortage in the country.
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To meet the shortage of housing in rural areas, the Government of India had launched a comprehensive scheme Indira Awaas Yojana (IAY), the flagship programme for Rural Housing since 1985-86 to help build or upgrade homes of households below the poverty line. From 1st April 2008, the ceiling on construction assistance under IAY was enhanced from Rs. 25,000 to Rs. 35,000 per unit in the plain areas and from Rs. 27,500 to Rs. 38,500 in hilly/difficult areas. The financial assistance for up gradation of kutcha house was also enhanced from Rs. 12,500 to Rs. 15,000 per unit. In addition to the unit assistance availed
However, the emphasis is on Group approach and also with particular emphasis on group formation by women and the weaker sections. Steps been initiated during the 2009- 2010, to restructure the SGSY as National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM) and to implement it in a mission mode for targeted and time bound delivery of results has also.