NREGA and its impact on the livelihood security of the poor people– A case study in Hooghly district of West Bengal

Abstract

It is generally seen that due to financial incapacity the poor people cannot purchase their minimum requirement to maintain their life. They are suffering from malnutrition. Though Public Distribution System is most popular and most important food security measure, it is not performing well in the recent years due to various reasons. In the presence of massive poverty and unemployment public distribution system is not the only answer to achieve food security of the poor people. In this case National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) can play a vital role to achieve food security and livelihood security of the rural poor. It is a wage employment program and most importantly it is self targeting. If this scheme can be implemented properly then it can increase the income level of the rural poor. So it can create the purchasing power of the rural poor. Their consumption level as well as standard of living will increase. This paper tries to explain the impact of NREGA on the food security and livelihood security of the rural poor in the Hooghly district of West Bengal.