Describe current government strategy of poverty alleviation.

The current government strategy of poverty alleviation is based broadly on two planks:
(i) Promotion of economic growth: The government tried to promote the economic growth which has been one of the fastest in the world since the eighties. The growth rate jumped from the average of about 3.5 per cent a year in the 1970s to about 6 per cent during the 1980s and 1990s’ This helped significantly in the reduction of poverty. There is a strong link between economic growth and poverty reduction. Economic growth, widens opportunities and provides the resources needed to invest in human development.
(ii) Poverty alleviation programmes: The above strategy of economic growth is not fully successful’ The poor may not be able to take direct advantage from the opportunities created by economic growth. Moreover, growth in the agriculture sector is much below expectations’ This has- a direct bearing on poverty as a large number of poor people live in villages and are dependent on agriculture. The government thinks that the poor people have to be looked after directly if poverty is to be alleviated. The government has, therefore, adopted various anti-poverty programmes which are as given below:
(a) National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA), 2005
(b) National Food for Work programme (NFWP), 2004
(c) Pradhan Mantri Gramodaya Yozana (PMGY), 2000
(d) Antyodaya Anna Yozana (AAY), 2000
(e) Swarnajayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana (SGSY), 1999
(f) Rural Employment Generation programme (REGP), 1995
(g) Prime Minister Rozgar yozana (PMRY), 1993.