Untitled - National Human Rights Commission

Table5
Distribution of cardholdersamong poorand non-poor
A'opoorwithno % peorwith % BPIJAAY cards
I'ationcard BPIJAIW cards with non- r
Ra'asrhan j.0 23.6 65.2
UP 16.1 22.7 48.7
Bihar 25.5 21.2 45.1
Assam 25.7 23.3 56
harkhand 22.1 3l.9 42.1
O rissa 29.3 54.8 38.1
Chhartisark 24.1 47.9 47
M P 30 ziI.9 46.2
A1lIndia 19.1 36 59.8
Thusm orethan halfofthepooreitherhaveno card orhavebcen given
APL cards,and arcthusexcluded from CheBPL tlenefits.Thcscm ustbe
presumably themostpoortribalgroups,women hcadcd households,and
pcople living in remoteham letswhcreadm inistration doesnotreach.Thus
the people most(Ir-serving ofgovernm enchelp are deprived ofsuch assistancc.
O n theothcrhand,almost60% ofthcBPL orAntyodayacardshavebeen
given to householdsbelonging to Chenon-poorcategory.Thisnccdsto bc
correcred by launching adriveto weed outerrorsofexclusion and inclusion.
lrrationalculturalpractices(notstartingbreastfeedingsoon afterbirth)
can l)e corrected through training and advice,butIEC isoften notgood
cnough to changehousehold decisionsbased on economiccompulsions
(withdrawinggirlsfrom schooltolookafteryoungersiblings).Thusthc
participation of the cxcluded groupscannotbesecured in socialsector
schemeson asustainablcbasisunlesstheirlivelihoodstooim prove.For
instance,the proposed studiesby the Planning Com mission should
documenthow to ensurethatthey getaccessto cheap grainsthrough
Antyodayaschcmc,orjobsunderNREGA,orfacilitia availabletomigrant
workers,Ifcom munitypresurecan besupplemented with improvement
in livelihoods,successislikely to be sustained overa longerperiod.
Slm m ing U p
Itisproposcd thatGOImay undertakcstate specificstudiesto unearth
theconstraintsthatare responsiblcforpoorperformance.Such knowledge