The Anatomy Of Rural Poverty In Assam

One Of The Experiences Of Planned Economic Development In India Has Been That While It Has Led To A Continuous Growth Of The GDP, The Fruits Of This Increase, Contrary To Expectations, Have Not Percolated To The Bottom Strata Of The Society. This Has Resulted In A Rise In The Number Of People Living Below The Poverty Line On The One Hand And Increased Affluence Of A Limited Number On The Other. The Realisation Of Number On The Other. The Realisation Of That Fact That Is A Mixed Economy Like Ours, A Mere Increase In The Tempo Of Economic Development May Not By Itself Be Sufficient To Reduce The Number Of The Poor Is Responsible For Devoting More Time And Attention By Professional Economists And Policy Makers To The Study Of The Problem Of Poverty. Since A Vast Majority Of The Country?s Population Live In Rural Areas, Rural Poverty Has Assumed A Greater Significance In The Study Of The Problem Of Poverty. However, Despite Of A Prolific Increase In The Literature On Poverty, The Genesis Of Poverty Or Its Anatomy Remains Imperfectly Understood, Barring A Limited Few, Poverty Has Not Been Viewed As A Manifestation Of The Existing Socio-Economic Order. The Present Study, A Micro Level One, Based On Six Villages Of Dibrugarh Sub-Division, Is An Attempt To Fill This Vacuum. An Attempt Is Made In The Study Not Only To Estimate The Number Of Poverty-Stricken People In The Six Surveyed Villages, But Also To Establish The Link Between Rural Poverty With Family Size, Size Of Operational, Holdings, Tenancy Agreements, Unemployment And Under-Employment, Asset Holding, Indebtedness, Dwelling Condition, Pattern Of Consumer Expenditure And Rural Infra-Structural Facilities. The Central Hypothesis Of The Book Is That The Magnitude Of Rural Poverty, Which Is A Product Of The Existing Socio-Economic Order, Cannot Be Satisfactorily Measured With The Help Of Single Indicator. Being A Multi-Dimensional Phenomenon, An Effective Assault On Poverty Has Also To Be Multi-Dimensional And Well-Integrated. The Study Is Likely To Be Of Immense Value To The Academics And Policy Makers.