Assam Makes Significant Strides in Reducing Multidimensional Poverty

Harsh Kumar Jha

With the recent release of the Economic Survey of 2023-24, it becomes evident that Assam has made significant strides in combating multidimensional poverty, with approximately 80.4 lakh individuals having transcended poverty thresholds. The poverty headcount ratio in Assam has seen a notable reduction of 14.5% from 36.97% in 2013-14. This regional success mirrors the broader national trend, as highlighted by NITI Aayog’s ‘Multidimensional Poverty Index’, which indicates that about 24.82 crore people across India have moved out of multidimensional poverty over the nine years from 2013-14 to 2022-23.

At this pace, India is on track to meet its Sustainable Development Goal of halving multidimensional poverty well before the 2030 deadline. Assam’s rapid progress underlines the state’s potential to contribute to national growth significantly, positioning it among the fastest growing ‘top five’ states in the country. This achievement can be largely attributed to a multifaceted framework that integrates welfare schemes, healthcare initiatives, and skilling campaigns.

Each of these components has played a crucial role in addressing the complex nature of poverty.  Welfare schemes in Assam have been systematically structured to deliver financial assistance to economically marginalized populations.

Furthermore, healthcare programs have focused on improving access to medical services, reducing disease burden, and ensuring maternal and child health which are critical factors in enhancing human capital. Moreover, skilling endeavors have aimed at empowering the youth with vocational training and employment opportunities, reducing dependency on subsistence livelihoods. The comprehensive apparatus adopted by Assam exemplifies how targeted interventions, when effectively implemented, can lead to considerable reductions in poverty, contributing to the overarching goal of national progress.

Core pillars of poverty mitigation framework

A cornerstone of Assam’s poverty alleviation efforts has been the ‘Orunodoi scheme,’ first announced in the 2020-21 state budget by then Finance Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma. This initiative aims to provide a minimum guaranteed income to the poorest families, restructuring fragmented beneficiary-oriented schemes for more substantial gains. Launched in August 2020, Orunodoi initially provided Rs. 830 monthly to adult females from families earning less than Rs 2,00,000 annually. This amount was increased to Rs. 1,000 in October 2021 and further to Rs. 1,250 in October 2022, reflecting a commitment to increasing financial support over time.

Orunodoi’s robust beneficiary selection mechanism, along with digitized processes, ensure minimal human interface, leveraging last-mile banking and mobile penetration for timely delivery of benefits. This technological integration not only improves transparency but also reduces the potential for corruption and delays, which are common pitfalls in welfare distribution. The scheme commenced with 17 lakh families and expanded to 27.61 lakh with the introduction of Orunodoi 2.0 in December 2022.

This expansion included additional categories such as persons with disabilities, transgender individuals, and households with members suffering from severe health conditions, thereby broadening the scheme’s inclusive impact. Also, with the ‘One Family—One Scheme’ approach, facilitated through the unified Digital Infrastructure for DBT Schemes platform, highlights a shift towards streamlined welfare delivery. By consolidating various segmented schemes under a single umbrella, Orunodoi aims to maximize the outcome of financial aid, ensuring that it reaches the most impoverished sections of society.

Alongside welfare reforms, healthcare is a central focus in Assam’s fight against poverty. The ‘Assam Arogya Nidhi’ (AAN) scheme strengthens this focus by providing financial assistance of up to Rs. 1,50,000 to Below Poverty Line families and those with a monthly income under Rs. 10,000 for the treatment of life-threatening diseases and injuries resulting from natural or manmade disasters. Complementing AAN, the ‘Sanjeevani – Village Health Outreach Programme’ is a strategic monthly initiative delivering integrated health services at the village level through 80 Mobile Health Units (MHUs).

These units, staffed with medical personnel, aim for early identification, screening, referral, follow-up, and the free distribution of medicines to manage chronic diseases effectively. Each MHU covers an average of 48 villages monthly and has served approximately 60 lakh people statewide. This measure ensures that healthcare services transcend the remotest parts of Assam, alleviating the economic burden of disease on deprived families. The joint efforts of AAN and the Sanjeevani program represent a holistic approach to healthcare delivery, bridging both financial and logistical barriers to access.

In addition to healthcare and welfare reforms, promoting entrepreneurship has emerged as an essential avenue for mitigating poverty in the state. The ‘Chief Minister’s Atmanirbhar Asom Abhijan 2023’ is a visionary step targeting unemployment across the state. Under this initiative, the government has laid a strong foundation for a brighter future by focusing on enabling unemployed youth to become self-reliant through comprehensive support systems.

The key objective is to transform the economic landscape by equipping the youth with the necessary resources, and guidance to succeed in entrepreneurial pursuits. This includes structured training workshops tailored to develop relevant skills, financial aid to initiate business activities, and facilitated access to markets to ensure business viability. With over 2 lakh youth beneficiaries, the venture demonstrates a robust commitment to addressing unemployment through sustainable means.

Progression of a new socio-economic paradigm

Building on the advancements made through the aforementioned initiatives Assam is well-positioned to propel its socio-economic development. The regular monitoring of welfare schemes will ensure that benefits consistently reach the most vulnerable populations, strongly respond to income inequality, and improve living standards.

As Assam continues to innovate its poverty mitigation strategies, this threefold approach serves as a model for other regions and states grappling with similar challenges. The progress achieved not only underlines the potential for transformation within Assam but also puts forward the importance of a persistent and adaptive policy blueprint in the broader national context.

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not reflect the views of Northeast Now.  Harsh Kumar Jha can be reached at:  harshkumarjhaa@gmail.com