Economic Survey Highlights Thrust on Rural Development

New Delhi: The thrust of  the Government on rural  development is discernible  from the emphasis it gets in
the Economic Survey 2022- 23 tabled in Parliament on  Tuesday. The Survey noted that 65 per  cent (2021 data) of the  country’s population lives in  the rural areas and 47 per  cent of the population is  dependent on agriculture for
livelihood. Thus, the focus  of the government on rural  development is imperative.  T h e G o v e r n m e n t ’s emphasis has been on improving the quality of life  in rural areas to ensure more  equitable and inclusive development. The aim of engagement of  the government in the rural economy has been “transforming lives and livelihoods  through proactive socio-economic inclusion, integration, and  empowerment of rural India,” it said.
The Survey referred to the National Family Health Survey  data for 2019-21 which illustrates a significant improvement  vis-a-vis 2015-16 in an array of indicators concerning the  quality of rural lives, including, inter alia, access to  electricity, presence of improved drinking water sources,  coverage under health insurance schemes, etc.
As per the Survey, women empowerment has also gained  momentum, with visible progress in female participation in h o u s e h o l d d e c isi o n – making, owning bank accounts, and use of mobile  phone s. Most of the indicators concerning the  health of rural women and  children have improved. These outcome-oriented statistics establish tangible  medium-run progress in rural living standards, aided  by the policy focus on basic  amenities and efficient
p r o g r a m m e implementation. The Economic Survey said  that under Mahatma Gandhi  National Rural Employment  G u a r a n t e e S c h e m e (MGNREGS) a total of 5.6  crore households availed employment and a total of 225.8 crore person-days employment has been generated under the scheme (until January 6, 2023). The number of works done under MGNREGS has steadily increased over the years, with 85 lakh completed works in FY22 and 70.6 lakh completed works so far in FY23 (as on January 9, 2023). It also talked about the transformative potential of Self Help Groups (SHGs), exemplified through their key role in the on-ground response to Covid-19, has served as the fulcrum of rural development through women empowerment. India has around 1.2 crore SHGs, 88 per cent
being all-women SHGs. The Economic Survey said that the SHG Bank Linkage Project (SHGBLP), launched in 1992, has blossomed into the world’s largest microfinance project. The SHG-BLP covers 14.2 crore families through
119 lakh SHGs with savings deposits of Rs 47,240.5 crore and 67 lakh groups with collateral-free loans outstanding of Rs 1,51,051.3 crore, as on 31 March 2022. The number of SHGs credit linked has grown at a CAGR of 10.8 per cent during the last 10 years (FY13 to FY22). Notably, SHG’s bank repayment is more than 96 per cent, underscoring their credit discipline and reliability.

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